Hello, Crypton Academy!
by the-apologetic-mushroom
Summary: Follow eight teens as they enter the elite boarding school, Crypton Academy. Relationships are formed, rivalries are made, friendships are tested. Pairings: MikuxKaito, RinxLen, LukaxGakupo, NeruxDell.
1. Chapter 1: Hatsune Miku 1

**Hello. This is my first fanfiction.**

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Chapter 1: Hatsune Miku 1  
Sunday, April 2, 2:36 pm. Mrs. Akita's car.

Hi. My name is Hatsune Miku. I'm going to start my first year of high school tomorrow at Japan's most prestigious private boarding school, Crypton Academy. It is said that only the most beautiful, smartest, talented, and richest kids go there. I don't think so. It really doesn't matter to me anyway because I'm going to attend this school with my three best friends!

One of my friends that will join me is Megurine Luka, who scored one of the top scores for the high school entrance exam. She's extremely smart and got into Crypton on a full scholarship! My other two friends are Akita Neru and Akita Rin. They're cousins. Neru is really tech-savvy and is never away from her phone. She can hack into websites with just her phone if she wanted to. She also has information on everyone and has the most reliable gossip. Rin is probably the cutest thing anyone has ever seen. Despite her small and youthful appearance, she is a natural-born leader. She's loud, demanding, sometimes unintentionally rude, and doesn't take no for an answer. But she is also nice and never boring.

My friends and I are currently on our way to school. We're supposed to arrive the day before school starts to unpack and prepare for school.

"I heard all the students at Crypton are ridiculously snobby." Rin said.

Neru looked up from her phone briefly. "I doubt it. We're not snobby, are we?" She raised an eyebrow at her cousin, "I'm pretty sure it's like all regular high schools. There are some nice kids and some snobs."

"Will there be any cute guys there?" I asked excitedly.

Luka sighed, "Miku-chan. Boys will only hinder your studies. Remember last year, when you flirted during class instead of pay attention? I had to tutor you just so you could keep up."

"Oops. Sorry." I giggled.

"Girls, we're here!" Rin's mother announced excitedly, "Call me and your parents the moment you settle in, okay?"

"Yes mom." Rin quickly got out of the car and opened the door for her mother and tightly hugged her. "I'm gonna miss you. Love you."

We said our thanks to Rin's mother and got our suitcases from the car. We started towards the first year's dormitories but were stopped by two golf carts.

The person driving one of the golf carts smiled, "You ladies have so many bags. The dorm building is very far. We'll take you there."

"Thanks!" I was happy to find out we didn't have to drag these around in this heat. Without hesitation we loaded our things on to the golf carts. I sat with Neru and Luka and Rin sat in the other golf cart. I'm not exactly sure why we had so many suitcases amongst us. I guess it's a girl-thing.

"Do you ladies want a quick tour of the school before we drop you off? You'll have a detailed one tomorrow in your homeroom class but we can show you the main buildings for now."

I glanced at my friends. They were all nodding yes. "Sure!"

"First off, let me introduce ourselves. We're seniors here that volunteered to help out with the incoming students. I'm Ted and him over there's Gumo."

"I'm Hatsune Miku and this is Akita Neru. The blonde in the other cart is Neru's cousin, Akita Rin, and the pink-haired girl is Megurine Luka."

"Pleasure to meet you." Ted gestured to a building. "As you may know, the school has a lot of land. There's a gym, basketball and tennis courts, a private beach, theaters, auditoriums, greenhouses, and even a planetarium. This is one of the theaters. It's the concert hall. The other theater is usually reserved for plays while this one is for other performances."

The school's buildings were beautiful. Each was no taller than three stories. They certainly spared no expense.

"If we go further that is where the dorms and classrooms are. There are three dorm buildings; one for each grade. The cafeteria is near the dorms as well."

Neru looked up from her phone. "This is our stop. Thanks Ted-senpai."

"Always a pleasure to help cute freshmen," he said with a wink.

I giggled, "Thanks Ted-senpai. See you!"

The four of us got off with our things and headed inside the freshmen's dorm building's lounge.

"Girls dorms are to the right and boys to the left." Luka said.

I couldn't help but squeal. "We're sharing the same building with boys?"

"There are rules. You can't go over to the boys dorms after curfew and whatnot."

This is gonna be awesome!

We found our room, which was on the second floor. We were thankful for them to put four kids in one room. I remember applying to room with one another was hectic. Rin almost got placed in a different room. She sent an angry email to the school demanding rooming with us And they graciously complied.

The room was gorgeous. There was a balcony, a walk-in closet, a large bathroom that had two sinks, four queen-sized beds, two wardrobes, two desks, a table, four chairs, two vanities, and two bookcases.

Rin plopped on a bed, claiming it. Neru tossed her laptop on the bed to the left of Rin's. Luka put her stuffed Tuna and Tako Luka on her bed next to Neru's. I ended up with the bed next to Rin.

"I'm gonna claim the closet if you guys don't hurry up and unpack." Neru singsonged.

Rin and I quickly hopped off our beds and dragged our suitcases to the closet. The three of us immediately took our clothes and started to hang them.

"It's a good thing they have these hangers already here. My clothes seriously needed to breathe. The suitcase was too stuffy." Rin said.

Neru scoffed, "Miku, how did you manage to pack all those clothes in your suitcases? It looks like you brought your entire wardrobe."

I rolled my eyes. "For your information, this isn't even half of my closet, and you know that. I only brought things I couldn't live without."

"We're going to have to ask for more hangers. Luka won't have any!" said Rin.

"It's alright. I've managed to unpack most of my clothes already. I put mine in a wardrobe and some in a dresser. I hope you don't mind. Also, I put some books on a bookcase already." Luka called.

Rin blinked in confusion. "Books? What? Reading? Nope."

"After we're done settling in, let's go hang out in the lounge. We can meet boy-I mean, new friends!" I grinned.

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**I'd love constructive criticism. Please review, flames are welcome.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	2. Chapter 2: Kagamine Len 1

Chapter 2: Kagamine Len 1  
Sunday, April 2, 3:13 pm. Dorm room 13943.

Hello. My name is Kagamine Len. I'm gonna be attending Crypton Academy as a freshman. My three best friends will be here with me. They're Shion Kaito, Kamui Gakupo, and Honne Dell. I'm glad that we've managed to be roommates.

Kaito has been my friend since as long as I can remember. He is go-lucky and cheerful. Too cheerful in my opinion. He sees the glass half full even when it's empty. All the girls seem to love him. Gakupo is very respectful and polite. He's very tall with long purple hair. He's hard to miss. Dell is probably the crankiest person I've ever met. I swear he's a workaholic and an insomniac. He is the complete opposite of Kaito. Dell calls himself a realist, not a pessimist. He developed a habit of smoking cigarettes, which I find disgusting.

Gakupo and I were arrived at our dorm together. We quickly settled in and tried to set up the TV Gakupo brought in. While doing so, we were interrupted by Dell walking in.

I wrinkled my nose. "Hey. Can you try not to smoke as often? The smell is everywhere."

"That's a pleasant greeting." Dell said.

"You're going to be kicked out or something for smoking so much."

"If I get caught."

By the time we unpacked everything, Kaito came.

"Hey guys! It looks like we're all here! When we finish settling in, let's go to the lounge. I saw a glimpse of four lovely ladies walking there on my way up here."

I crossed my arms. "I'll go if Dell doesn't smell like cigarettes. It'll scare girls off." Anything to get rid of that scent!

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The girls Kaito was talking about we're sitting on a sofa, chatting away.

"Hello ladies. Let me introduce myself and my friends. I'm Shion Kaito, and these are my friends Kagamine Len, Honne Dell, and Kamui Gakupo." Kaito shot them a dazzling smile.

The teal-haired girl returned his smile. "Hi. I'm Hatsune Miku and this is Megurine Luka, Akita Rin, and Akita Neru." She gestured to her friends as she mentioned each name.

She has unnaturally long teal hair. And her eyes match the color of her hair. She's cute, but the girl next to her caught my eye. Rin, that's who she said she was.

Rin smiled. "Please call me Rin. If you guys called both me and Neru-chan "Akita-san" it'd get confusing."

Miku got up and sat with Kaito on another sofa. Kaito is quite the ladies' man. He knows how to flirt well.

I made eye contact with Rin and she smiled slightly.

"So. Len-kun, was it? What's up?" she asked.

Her voice was adorable, just like the oversized bow on her head.

"Dell over here was being a jerk earlier, so nothing much. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow. Are you?" I tried to sound as cool as I wished I could be.

"Looking forward to class? What a joke! Why can't break be longer?"

"Isn't it nice to meet new people? And learning new things is fun."

Rin looked at me with a quizzical expression. "Nope."

"Okay, how about a change of topic." I looked around the room. Gakupo and Luka seemed to be getting along, Kaito and Miku seemed to be off in their own world, and Neru was texting furiously on her phone while chatting with Dell.

"Are you and Akita-san related?" I tried to stimulate a conversation.

"We're cousins, but pretty much like sisters. But we're nothing alike. I'm nice and she's cranky. Don't tell her I said that."

"Must be nice to be so close to your relatives."

"You don't have any siblings?"

I shook my head no. "But Kaito and I have been friends practically since birth. Our mothers once thought it'd be unhealthy if we went to different high schools."

Rin laughed the cutest laugh I've ever heard. It sounded like a childish bell tinkling. "How long have you known your other friends?"

"We met Gakupo when he transferred into our elementary school in what, 5th grade? And Dell in middle school. What about you?"

"Neru and I were inseparable, like you and Kaito. We met Luka and Miku in middle school and we've been the golden group since. You wouldn't believe how happy we were when we found out we're going to the same high school together."

Suddenly we were interrupted by Miku's loud squeal and laughter.

I cringed. "I can imagine it was louder than our reaction?" I offered.

"Haha." She looked down at her watch. "I saw a cafe not far from our dorm. Wanna grab something real quick?"

"Kagamine-san, may we join as well?" Gakupo asked.

"How about we all go? I'm feeling a bit hungry and I'm sure I'm not the only one." Luka said.

We all got up to the cafe, which wasn't as far as we thought. It's a very nice campus. It reminds me of college with those on-campus cafes.

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**Please review with constructive criticisms and grammar/spelling mistakes. Opinions and flames are welcome. Thank you!**

**I want to ask questions at the end of each chapter.  
My questions is: Do you like Vocaloids for the music produced, or the fanfiction/fan art/doujinshi?  
I like them mainly for the music produced and never even thought about fanfiction until later. And some fan art online are just beautiful!**

_This chapter was last altered on March 22, 2013._


	3. Chapter 3: Honne Dell 1

Chapter 3: Honne Dell 1  
Monday, April 3, 4:08 am. Dorm room 13943.

Hey. I'm Honne Dell. It's very early in the morning but I can't seem to sleep. School starts at 8:30 and it's 4 am. So I'm just lying in my bed, appreciating that none of my friends snore.

I've been thinking of yesterday. More specifically, Akita Neru.

In the entirety of our walk to the café yesterday, Neru's eyes were glued to her yellow cellphone. I don't know how she can talk and see where she goes without any trouble. Actually, in the entirety of the time I've known her, Neru only looked up from her phone 5% of the time.

This would have normally bothered the crap out of me, but it didn't. I admit, at first that bugged me. But when she looked up and I saw her golden eyes, I wasn't bothered by her 'habit' anymore. She could talk normally and was completely aware of everything that was going on around her while she was on her phone. It was an odd quirk of hers, but I'm cool with it. From her habit of flipping her long side ponytail to when she bites her lip when her phone has slow connection, I'll admit that she's cute. She's not just cute. She's very pretty.

I crossed my arms behind my head and smirked. I couldn't help but remember what she told me.

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"You're a smoker, right?" asked Neru.

I was surprised. I thought I masked the smell. Even Len couldn't smell it. "Yes. How can you tell?"

"I can smell it."

"We're not even sitting that close." I said, scooting over to the edge of the seat.

Neru eyes met mine. She snapped her cell phone shut. She scooted close to me, so that our bodies were touching. "Honne-kun. I didn't say I didn't like it."

I was amazed and amused.

"I think it's hot," she continued. "I like bad boys. A lot."

I've been told by girls that they like bad boys. They were all whores. And I never cared. And I'm not a "bad boy". But Neru's different. From her sharp eyes to her phone, she's different. She has attitude. I think I like it.

I put my arms behind my head and raised an eyebrow. "You're quite a trip."

And just like that, she was back to her phone.

"Akita-san, who're you texting?" I was really curious on what was so important about her phone. "Friends from your old school?"

"Huh? Oh. I'm not just texting, I'm doing other stuff. With just my cellphone, I can get information about anything and anyone."

"Sounds sketchy..."

"Name: Honne Dell. Birth date: 25th of May. Height: 5'8". Allergies: none. Criminal records: none. Checked into St. Andrew's psychiatric clinic in New York for insomnia. Grade point aver-"

"Stop stop! I get it!" I was pretty freaked out. How'd she get information on me like that? I decided to ask her.

"I can access the school's records with my phone because I can hack the school's database. This isn't the only database I can hack. I can hack into people's emails if I wanted."

I didn't know how to react. So I instinctively smirked. "So a pretty girl like you just spend all day glued to your phone, hacking sites?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm human. I do other things. So pretty boy, how's your insomnia? Your medical records say that you checked out without completely curing it."

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Seeing that I'm up now, I guess I still have insomnia. I'm getting better though!

I sighed. Maybe I can sneak in a smoke if I smoke in the bathroom. I got out of bed and looked at my phone for the time. I got a new message from none other than Akita Neru. Wait, I don't remember giving her my number.

Neru:  
Hey. I realized that I have your number and you don't have mine. Wanna eat lunch with me? We have the class before lunch (math) together.'

I don't need to learn how she knows my number and class schedule. I already know how. She's a little scary in that way.

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**Thank you for reading, please review!**

**How do you feel about Dell and Neru (together or by themselves).  
I really like them, and I don't mind the pairing. It's not as crack-y as some crackpairings...**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	4. Chapter 4: Megurine Luka 1

Chapter 4: Megurine Luka 1  
Monday, April 3, 8:42 am. Homeroom 2.

Good morning. My name is Megurine Luka. We're currently in homeroom. We just finished introductions. Our teacher is going over information and rules about the school.

I'm very lucky to come to this school with my best friends. Because the school's so exclusive, there are only two freshmen homeroom classes.

Unfortunately, my friends and I were split up. But Akita Rin is in my class, siting to the right of me.

We met a group of four boys yesterday: Kamui Gakupo, Shion Kaito, Kagamine Len, and Honne Dell. They're like my group of friends. They were glad to have come here together. Like my friends and me, they were split up by twos as well. Gakupo and Kaito are in my class. Miku, Neru, Len, and Dell are together in the next class.

Gakupo is sitting behind me. I can feel his eyes boring into my back. I'm trying to ignore it, but it's really weird.

I whipped my head around to see him staring at me. "Is there something on my back? Why are you staring at me?"

He shot me a dazzling smile. "Sorry, Megurine-san. I just wanted to see your beautiful face."

I rolled my eyes. "Just because you try to flatter me like that doesn't mean that you have rights to stare at my back like that. It's weird."

"Megurine-san," I heard our teacher's voice call me, "please face your desk."

"Thanks a lot! I got caught by sensei!" I whispered harshly to Gakupo.

This was the first time I've ever gotten in trouble in class. There goes my first impression. I wanted my teachers to think I was quiet, respectful, and studious. It's all Gakupo's fault!

That Gakupo... Don't get me wrong. He's extremely good looking and sweet. He's probably the most respectful person my age that I've ever met. I can tell girls would love him. He's very nice but he makes me mad. I've also never met anyone who managed to get me mad so quickly. Not even Rin when she's being extra obnoxious and immature. I actually feel bad for him because he tries to be so sweet to me and I push him away. I don't even know.

I looked to my right and saw Rin smirking and wiggling her eyebrows at me. I responded with an eye roll.

"Ah-hem," our teacher cleared his throat. "I'd like a few volunteers for the freshman class's student council. It's recommended that we have one girl and one boy from each class."

The class looked around at each other. I'd volunteer but I'm too shy.

Rin smiled and pointed to me and Gakupo.

I shook my head no. I turned around to look at Gakupo again.

"We should do it Megurine-san," he whispered.

"Uh-okay." I felt myself nod.

Gakupo smiled and raised his hand. "Megurine-san and I would like to volunteer as class representatives."

Rin gave me a thumbs up.

What did I just get myself into? I'm not a leader, I'm a follower.

Thank Kami-sama for lunch time. I was freed from Gakupo's eyes. All throughout my classes Gakupo was staring at me. It was beyond weird.

I ate with Miku and Rin. We weren't sure where Neru went but she texted us to eat without her.

Once again, I'm thankful that we go to Crypton Academy because our schedule is similar to the American education system. In America, students take an elective course during the school day. In Japan, any form of elective or art is taken in the form of afterschool clubs. Since we follow a schedule similar to theirs, it lowered the amount of classes I had with Gakupo. Every class is with our homeroom except for math, electives, gym, and higher level classes. We have gym twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have our elective classes. On Fridays we have study hall.

Gym was the last class of the day. I hate gym. I'm not athletic at all. In middle school, I was embarrassed in every gym class for my lack of ability and my looks. The only good thing about gym class is that it's the only class I have with all three of my best friends. The four of us met in the locker rooms.

Rin looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. "I'm pretty flat."

I felt a blush creeping on my cheeks. The reason why people embarrass me about my looks in gym class is because I have a rather... Large chest. When I wear t-shirts and run around, well... It's not exactly a comfortable experience. I just don't like it!

We went outside of the locker rooms and waited in the gym. We were the first there. But then I heard a familiar voice call out.

"Megurine-san!"

I groaned and turned around slowly with my eyes closed.

"I'm so happy that we have another class together. Aren't you?"

"Please... Just let me be..."

Gakupo's face fell. "Sorry, Megurine-san."

Now I just feel terrible. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I looked back and saw him walk towards Len with Rin.

"Luka-chan! That's not like you at all to tell someone off," Miku said.

"Very out of character. Was it because of the person you get upset at?" Neru said, not looking up from her phone.

My eyes grew wide. "K-k-Kamui-kun? No! I must be moody from stress. I'll apologize later."

Miku pouted. "You better!"

Soon after, our teacher came and went over basic rules of the class. Then he told us to run one lap around the track. To most of the class's pleasure, he said you were dismissed from class after you finished running a lap.

I groaned. I'm gonna be the slowest runner in the class. I can tell. Miku and Rin are so fast. In middle school I'd always run with Neru, because she was kind enough to slow down for me. It gave her time to check her phone anyway.

We started to run. As usual, I faltered at the back of everyone. Neru started a light conversation with me, but I couldn't really talk to her between my pants and gasps for breath. I swear these gym teachers are out to get me.

I noticed that the whole class finished running. Rin and Miku were waiting for Neru and me to finish. For some odd reason, all of the boys in our class stayed behind. It was creepy because the boys were staring at me. I tried to ignore them to the best of my ability. But they were staring particularly at my chest. How embarrassing! I felt myself blush deeply. My face must look so red. Not only from running, but my deep blush.

After I finished my lap, I sprinted as fast as I could to the locker room. I hope no one saw the tears that begin to form in my eyes.

I hate gym class.

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**Please review! It'd make me very happy if you do. Thank you for those who did!**

**I think Luka is one of the prettiest Vocaloids I know. I also think IA is pretty. And I think Rin is the cutest.**  
**Who do you think is the prettiest/cutest Vocaloid?**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	5. Chapter 5: Akita Rin 1

Chapter 5: Akita Rin 1  
Monday, April 3, 7:54 pm. Dorm room 1925.

The first day of classes went by so quick! I'm completely wiped out from today. I sat down on my giant orange-shaped bean bag chair and closed my eyes.

Oops. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Akita Rin. I'm small and love oranges. I have short blonde hair and always wear my hair with white hair clips and a big white bow.

I'm currently waiting to take a shower. This dorm room is really nice. Except the bathroom has only one bathtub and toilet but two sinks. The school expects us to use the big bathroom on the first floor. There are tons of showers and toilets there, but I'm too lazy to walk downstairs for that.

I don't even know why I let Miku take a shower before me. She takes ridiculously long. Must be all that hair she has to wash. I don't even know why my friends insist upon having such long hair. It's so inconvenient. I remember when we were little, boys would always pull on Neru's hair.

"Rin-chan, did you finish your homework?" Luka asked motherly.

I looked up and saw her towel drying her hair. She's smart to take a shower downstairs.

"I only had math homework. Neru helped me."

"Did she help you or did you copy off of her?"

"We don't even take the same math class! She's in a higher level than I am."

"Just checking." Luka went to blow-dry her hair.

Poor Luka. After gym, she shut herself in a bathroom stall and told us to go on ahead to our dorm. We knew she was embarrassed. She gets embarrassed very easily. Luka was bullied when she was younger. In middle school, people bullied her because she was the prettiest girl in our grade. Jealousy is a terrible thing.

I opened my laptop and checked my email. I opened a new email I got from my classmate Kasane Teto. It was a link to an invitation to a blog called Cryptonization. I opened the link, which told me to make a username.

I typed in 'RinandOranges'. It's been my screen name for everything for as long as I can remember.

I looked up at Neru, who was laying on her back on her bed.

"Neru! Did you know that someone made a Crypton Academy blog? It's called Cryptonization; everyone who goes to Crypton has an account. There's special groups for each grade level, course, homeroom, club, and everything. And you can customize your own profile page. This is so cool!"

Neru yawned and looked up with a bored expression. "Yes, I know about it. I helped add stuff to it. I'm the one who suggested customization of profile pages. I'm one of the administrators of Cryptonization."

Of course she knows about this blog. Why'd I bother asking? "Wait. How are you an admin on the first day of school?"

"Cryptonization has existed for the past few years but never reached popularity until last year. It isn't just used for helping each other on school work. People use it as a social networking and blogging site. What's unique is that there's the anonymous page where people would start forums and ask questions and make polls."

I caught my mouth gaping open. "You didn't answer my question."

"I found out about the site during homeroom and was invited to it then. I went to the suggestions forum and spammed them with tons of recommendations on improvement. During my lunch with Dell, we went over to the current admins and they told me that if I have so many suggestions, fix them myself." Neru's expression turned haughty and proud. "I asked for five hours of maintenance on the site and Dell and I managed to get it to how it looks now. After my first hour of maintenance, I was approved to be an admin. In the last hour, I created an app for the blog for phones and other mobile electronics. There are many kinks I still need to fix, but they could be fixed later. I'm open to any suggestions from you guys."

"You're amazing, Akita Neru."

She went back to her phone. Probably to continue fixing the site. Or texting. Or hacking into the Japanese government.

I checked the anonymous page. The newest poll was 'Hottest new faces'. The description said it was some poll for the top seven hottest girls and top seven hottest boys in the freshman class. I rolled my eyes. How lame.

I don't know everyone in my grade yet, so I thought Cryptonization could help me learn who's who. But if I click on these polls, I'd have no idea who the people are talking about.

I opened 'Hottest new faces'. How creepy. They even have photos of the people!

To my surprise, my friends and I made it. The order for the girls starting from number seven to one were: Teto, me, Neru, IA, Miku, Lily, and Luka.

I frowned. I always thought I was prettier than Neru. She's quite grumpy and is frowning a lot of the time. Did she rig the poll so she can come out prettier than me? She wouldn't do that. She doesn't care as much for her looks.

I admit that maybe I'm not pretty, but I'm cute. Maybe it's because I look very young. Some people today thought I was still in middle school and was wondering what I was doing at a high school. But at least I'm cute!

It's really no surprise that Luka was voted the prettiest. She is beautiful inside and out. I bet guys voted for her body though. She tries to ignore their hungry stares to the best of her abilities.

I looked at the guys' list. Starting from number one to seven were: Kaito, Gakupo, Mikuo, Dell, Rei, Len, Meito.

I don't know who a few of them are so I can't judge. But Len-chan's on this list! He's abso-freaking-lutely adorable!

The poll says I can only vote once every 24 hours. I scrolled up to see Len's picture. I clicked on the box next to him. I think he's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I went back to the girl's poll and voted for myself. I'll vote for Luka tomorrow. No one needs to know that I'm a teensy bit jealous of Neru!

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**Which Vocaloid(s)'s voices do you like best?  
My favorites are the Kagamines, IA, and Luka.**

**Thank you for reading. Please review!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	6. Chapter 6: Shion Kaito 1

Chapter 6: Shion Kaito 1  
Monday, April 3, 8:24 pm. Dorm room 13943.

Hey. I'm Shion Kaito. My friends and I are just chilling in our dorm room since we all finished our homework. I'm so glad that we got the TV set up yesterday. but unfortunately, there's nothing to watch. And we're too lazy to set up our Xbox and PS3.

I've never seen Gakupo so starry-eyed. He's has been talking about Luka all day. He couldn't take his eyes off of her during class and lunch. I feel sorry for the girl.

Gakupo isn't one to like a girl often. In fact, I think this is the first time he's obsessed over a girl like this. It's pretty funny. Love at first sight? I think so.

But me, my love life is... Quite extensive... I've had a lot of girlfriends. I really like girls. I'm not a pervert or anything, I swear! I don't do anything like that! It's just that I always like someone new. Len's always told me that I'm a playboy who is too smooth with girls. Psshhh whatever. You can't possibly be "too smooth" with girls. I treat ladies like the princesses they are. I am a gentleman!

But I've been on many dates, with many different girls. I've never really been in complete love with anyone before, so I've never been in a long relationship.

I sort of wish I was like Len. Len's only had one girlfriend before but he's dated her for nearly two years. It must be nice to like someone for a long time. But in the end, he actually broke up with her at the end of last school year.

I sighed loudly.

"What's up?" Dell asked.

It's unusual of him to ask. He'd normally just ignore me. Gakupo would be the first to ask how I am if I sighed that loud. Except Gakupo was busy telling Len about Luka.

"Nothing. I can't sigh peacefully anymore?"

"Is it a crime to ask a friend how they feel? By the way, did you activate your account on Cryponization yet? I told you to earlier."

I got my laptop. "I'll do it now."

'Enter your desired username. You will be unable to change it later.'

'KaitosIceCream'. Done.

I looked over at Dell. "What now?"

He was sitting on his bed with his laptop on his lap. "Look around the site. Akita-san worked really hard on it. If there are any problems, let me know."

I clicked the chat button to see who was online. There are these neat filters you can use: 12th grade, 11th grade, 10th grade, and custom lists. I clicked on the 10th grade filter. I didn't know most of the people online but the ones I did know were:

'GotBoredGoingToBed (Akita Neru) [mobile]'  
'RinandOranges (Akita Rin)'  
'shutupandleave (Honne Dell)'  
'PaintitBlack (Kagene Rei)'  
'whatthefrenchbread (Kasane Teto)'  
'QueenBeeLily (Masuda Lily)'

I started a chat with Rin.

KaitosIceCream:  
'Hey.'

RinandOranges:  
'Hi Kaito-kun! Haha nice username.'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Duh. Ice cream for life. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All day every day. So you like oranges?'

RinandOranges:  
'Hahaha. Oh, you noticed that I like oranges? I love them. They're tasty and cute.'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Cute? I won't understand...'

RinandOranges:  
'Yup. So what's up?'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Nothing much. How was your first day of school?'

RinandOranges:  
'Tiring. But I got to meet new people. You?'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Same here. I have a couple classes with Miku. I'm happy for that.'

RinandOranges:  
'Oh? Do you like Miku?'

KaitosIceCream:  
'I won't lie, she is pretty and I really enjoy her company.'

RinandOranges:  
'She doesn't have a boyfriend~'

KaitosIceCream:  
'I'll keep that in mind.'

RinandOranges:  
'She seems to look like she's glowing when she's with you~'

KaitosIceCream:  
'I do have that effect.'

RinandOranges:  
'Don't be so smug, pretty boy.'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Yes ma'am.'

RinandOranges:  
'By the way, can you tell Gakupo-kun to stop creeping on Luka-chan?'

KaitosIceCream:  
'HAHAHA! Okay. He won't stop talking about her. It's getting pathetic. In a funny way.'

RinandOranges:  
'Luka-chan is never like this. She doesn't get mad easily. But Gakupo really must have bothered her.'

KaitosIceCream:  
'I'll tell him. I hope he doesn't cry over it.'

RinandOranges:  
'I've got to go. See you in homeroom tomorrow! Bye!'

KaitosIceCream:  
'Good night.'

I felt myself grinning. So Miku likes me, huh? She's like the better version of any girl I've met. If a girl I met was cute, Miku's cuter. If a girl I met was nice, Miku's nicer. She's an angel. I think I'll tell her that sometime.

* * *

**Gosh. My least favorite chapters to write are Kaito chapters. My least favorite pairing here is KaitoxMiku. I'm so sorry if this chapter wasn't adequate. I always have writer's block for Kaito chapters. But I like him, I really do!**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review~**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	7. Chapter 7: Kamui Gakupo 1

**This story was mentioned in chapter 28 of sunshine98's _Meltdown_. I am so grateful. So this chapter is dedicated to you! Please check out _Meltdown_ by sunshine98!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Kamui Gakupo 1  
Monday, April 3, 9:22 pm. Dorm room 13943.

Hello. My name is Kamui Gakupo. I am 15 years old. I am a tenth grader at Crypton Academy. It is a pleasure to meet you.

Today was our first day of instruction. I am privileged to attend this school with my close friends: Kagamine Len, Honne Dell, and Shion Kaito. We have met four lovely ladies yesterday; cousins Akita Rin and Akita Neru, Hatsune Miku, and the beautiful Megurine Luka.

Megurine Luka is the most flawless human being I have ever seen. Her face looks like an angel's. Her hair is the color of the prettiest pink flower. Her laugh is beautiful. It is light, almost feathery but good-natured. She has an attractive voice as well. It sounds almost seductive even when she is saying basic sentences. Even her face upset is gorgeous. Her eyes are a unique light blue-green, an eye color I have never seen before. She is also kind and smart. She is indescribably wonderful.

I am not sure what she has done to make me feel this way. Is this what love is? I have never been in love before. The moment she introduced herself to me, I felt my heart pound in my chest. Did she hear it? Does love at first sight exist? If so, it is a fantastic feeling. I hope she feels this way about me. That would be very nice.

Unfortunately, after our last class, gym, she ran away from me without even looking at me. Did I do something wrong? I should ask Kaito. He is very good with understanding girls.

"Shion-san. Can you help me?" Kaito was closed his laptop. "I need your advice."

"What do you need? Let me guess, do you need help with Megurine-san?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. How did you know?"

"You've been talking about her all day. But she hasn't really talked as fondly of you. I figured you wanted to know what was up."

"Precisely! I have half my classes with her, and we are homeroom representatives together. But she does not seem to enjoy my company as much as I enjoy hers."

"I've noticed. She went as far as avoiding your eyes..."

I felt my heart fall. "And she ran away from me during gym. Does she... Hate me? Does Megurine-san hate me? Am I a nuisance to her?"

Kaito looked down. "Oh yeah. Gym... Sorry about that."

"What do you mean? Did you do something wrong?"

Kaito didn't look up. "Gakupo. Do you think Megurine-san is attractive?"

What an odd thing to ask all of a sudden. "Of course!"

"Everyone, and I mean everyone, thinks she's hot. I mean realistically speaking, she's smokin' hot. The other guys think she has the hottest body in our grade. During gym, what did our class do?"

"We ran around the track?"

"Yes. What did our teacher say we could do after we ran?"

"He said that we may leave after our lap."

Kaito nodded. "But the guys didn't. Why?"

I do not recall my all male classmates staying after class. "I stayed so I could talk to Megurine-san after class."

"I'm sorry." I shot him a confused look. "We, not you, stayed afterwards to look at Megurine-san run. It was a free show: the beautiful Megurine Luka running in the hot sun, with sweat on her brow and on her hot body."

That pig! Those pigs! I could not believe it. At least Kaito apologized. Len is probably embarrassed about it. Actually, he was speaking with Rin. I am not sure what Dell was doing but I hope he will apologize as well. I will ask him about it later.

"I accept your apology. But maybe you should apologize to Megurine-san instead." I was hit with a wave of understanding. "That was why she ran away from the class so quickly..."

"Yeah. She didn't even look at her friends. She headed straight towards the locker rooms. We must have embarrassed her badly. I feel awful now."

"I want to make her feel better. I want to speak with her. What time is it? When is curfew? Do you think it is allowed for me to ask her if I can speak with her face-to-face?"

Kaito checked his watch. "It's 9:45. Curfew's at 10. Sorry bro, I don't think you can. Don't worry."

"I will speak with her immediately during class tomorrow!"

"I'll be rooting for you. Also, I don't think she hates you. She's too nice of a person. She probably finds you a little annoying, but she probably actually thinks you're her friend."

Darn. I do not want Luka to think of me as her friend. I want her to think of me as someone more. But Kaito's words were reassuring. I look forward to speaking with her tomorrow.

* * *

**Who's favorite Vocaloid producer/composer? Or what's your favorite Vocaloid song?  
My favorite producers are Wowaka (GenjitsutouhiP), Yuyoyuppe, Kemu, and MuryokuP.**

**Thank you for reading, please leave review! I'd welcome any suggestions or criticisms.**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	8. Chapter 8: Akita Neru 1

Chapter 8: Akita Neru 1  
Tuesday, April 4, 12:05 am. Dorm room 1925.

Hi. My name is Akita Neru. My friends are all asleep and I'm keeping Dell company through text.

Dell is this really hot guy I've met yesterday. Well technically two days ago. He's witty and smart but has insomnia. I'm not helping it by staying up late with him. But I can't stop texting him. I'm very glad he's my friend.

Currently we're just asking each other random questions to get to know each other better. Well I'm asking a ton of questions and he'll get his turn later.

Neru:  
'Dogs or cats? I like cats.'

Dell:  
'Cats are creepy. Dogs.'

Neru:  
'Favorite color? Yellow. But golden yellow, not neon or light yellow.'

Dell:  
'Silver and gray.'

How uncommon. Not many people's favorite color is silver or gray. Goes with his hair, I suppose.

Neru:  
'Favorite genre of movie? I like horror. But I get scared too easily...'

I frowned. It really isn't like me to admit fear.

Dell:  
'I like horror movies too! We should watch one sometime.'

Neru:  
'Biggest fear? I hate deep water. I'm practically hydrophobic.'

There was a slight pause before he responded.

Dell:  
'I admit I'm afraid of heights.'

I smirked. What a baby. It's kind of cute how he admitted it though.

Neru:  
'Cute! First kiss? Mine wasn't very memorable.'

Please don't ask why I asked that. Because I really don't know either. But there was no hesitance in his response.

Dell:  
'Did you just call me cute? Me neither. I think first kisses are always awkward. My turn. You know more about me than I do about you.'

Gotta love hacking into files.

Neru:  
'Go ahead.'

Dell:  
'Birthday? You already know mine.'

Neru:  
'November 1st.'

Dell:  
'If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? I want to go to Germany.'

Neru:  
'Akihabara. I've only been there once before. But let's go to Germany together.'

Akihabara's the tech capital of Japan, duh!

Dell:  
'Read any manga? I don't read or watch manga or anime often, but prefer watching anime.'

Neru:  
'Rin likes anime and manga, so I guess she rubbed off on me? I used to watch a few with her. I can be on my phone while watching anime.'

Dell:  
'How tall are you? You already know how tall I am.'

Neru:  
'5'2".'

Dell:  
"Siblings? I have an older half-sister. She's a senior at this school.'

I already knew of his sister, Yowane Haku, from his files. She was caught underage drinking last summer.

Neru:  
'Rin doesn't count as a sister?'

Dell:  
'Caffeine? I'm addicted to coffee.'

I rolled my eyes.

Neru:  
'I love coffee. But no wonder you don't sleep! Stop consuming caffeine.'

Dell:  
'I have many bad habits... Why do you like the smell of cigarettes? Most people dislike it.'

Neru:  
'Like I said, it's hot. Need I say more?'

Dell:  
'Haha. It's already past 1 o'clock. I don't want you to look like a zombie tomorrow. Good night.'

Neru:  
'I'll never look as tired as you with your bloodshot eyes...'

Dell:  
'Problem?'

I rolled my eyes again.

Neru:  
'Get to sleep!'

I woke up last this morning. Since I woke up last, I got to use the bathroom last. I dressed and fixed my hair. I don't put on makeup on a regular basis so that saves me some time. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is check my phone.

Dell sent me a picture of me with cat ears Photoshopped on. 'You said you like cats, don't you?'

I blushed. How'd he get a picture of me? And why are his Photoshop skills so perfect?

"Are you blushing, Neru?" Rin grinned.

"Wha- No!" I snapped my phone shut and scowled. "I don't blush."

"Whatever you say." Rin laughed. "Oh. I forgot to tell you, but I think you and Dell look cute together. And you look nice today. Spend any extra time for Dell-kun?"

I blushed deeper and threw a pillow at her. I looked at the full-length mirror. To my embarrassment, my face was still flushed.

Crypton Academy encourages self-expression by allowing us to wear whatever we want as long as it's not explicit and against their dress code. I was wearing a fitted gray tank top, yellow shorts, black tights, and black combat boots.

I have a more peculiar style than my friends. They're kind of preppy. More preppy than me, anyway. I never took that much effort into what I looked like because it never really mattered to me. But no one needed to know why I purposely chose to wear a gray top today.

Miku finally came out of the bathroom. I rushed in and got ready. Next time I'll use those bathrooms on the first floor.

Luka tapped her foot, slightly annoyed. "Let's go eat breakfast. We have an hour."

Dell and his friends were already at the cafeteria. We went to join them. Unfortunately there were only three seats left on the table.

"We can share a seat?" I suggested.

"Len-kun! Share with me!" squealed Rin. Phew. I didn't want to share with Rin. We've had enough sharing as children, thank you. I took a seat next to Dell.

Poor Len. He looked very uncomfortable when Rin squeezed herself into whatever space was left on his seat. Maybe I should share with her instead.

Dell looked at the uncomfortable blond boy. "Rin-san. No need to share with Len."

He looked at me. Then he picked me up and put me on his lap. I was so surprised that I dropped my phone. He caught it before it could break. He closed it and placed it on the table.

"You don't mind sharing with me, do you?" The smell of coffee on his breath made me wake up from my daze.

"Uh-uh... No! I don't mind!" I felt my cheeks grow hot and red again.

He calmly drank his coffee. I reached for my cup of coffee.

"I must be heavy. You don't have to do this." I mumbled.

"You're as light as a feather." He whispered back.

It was an odd breakfast experience, with all our friends watching us. It does seem out of our characters. I hope I showed no emotion on my face. I've mastered a poker face a long time ago. When I concentrate, I can control flinching and even blushing. Calmly, I reached for my vibrating phone and checked it.

No one needs to know that my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking slightly as I was on my phone. No one needs to know that I secretly enjoyed sitting on his lap. Like I said, Dell smells good. Coffee and cigarettes. Hot.

After breakfast, Dell and I walked to homeroom together. I remembered leaning onto him when I felt more comfortable. That guy is rock-hard. Hello, Mr. Muscular! We didn't say a word or even look at each other the entire time we walked. The only sound was from my fingers tapping away on my phone and my heart pounding. If he hears my heart pounding, I'll die from embarrassment.

We got to class and sat down. Miku, Len, Dell, and I sit together in the back. Dell sits in the back corner, I sit next to him, Miku sits next to me, and Len sits in front of Dell.

I put my phone on silent mode. The moment I did so, I got texts from Miku and Rin.

Rin:  
'You two are so hot. Are you two dating? Why didn't you tell me? Who else knows? I thought we told everything to each other!'

Miku:  
'So cute! I just love it. I should have known. You should have told me! You two totally hit it off. Love love love!'

I looked over to my left. Miku had a silly grin on her face and was raised her eyebrows at Dell and me.

I responded with an eye-roll and showed her that I deleted her message.

She pouted and spammed my phone with a bunch of text messages containing only hearts. Ridiculous.

* * *

**This has been my favorite chapter. I think I'm most similar to Neru. I looked up her age and height, and it turns out that she's shorter than Rin. How is that possible... o_O I didn't like that so I made Neru taller than Rin.**

**Where do you write, read, review, message, and browse on fanfiction? On the computer or on a mobile device?  
I only use the computer only for uploading purposes. Otherwise, I do everything on my phone. I even write the fanfiction on my phone.**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	9. Chapter 9: Kagamine Len 2

**The boys' chapters are always the shortest. Why do I do that? o_O Time for a change!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Kagamine Len 2  
Tuesday, April 4, 8:36 am. Homeroom 1.

We have homeroom every day. It's supposed to be a mandatory study hall for thirty minutes. But no one seems to study and our teacher doesn't mind us socializing loudly.

The Dell and Neru thing is pretty popular gossip right now. I didn't even know that Dell was so smooth. How he usually gets girls is... Well he doesn't. He's pretty grouchy. I guess girls like the "bad boy" attitude.

I sighed and turned around to talk to Dell. He looked quite smug. I swear he only has three emotions and moods: angry, smug, and tired. So when is he not a douche?

I looked over at Neru and Miku, who were in whispered, rapid conversation. The rest of the class were talking amongst themselves. I need to consider making more friends.

"Dell. What was with the thing with Akita-san at breakfast earlier?"

"You looked uncomfortable sharing with Rin-san. I was simply trying to be a good friend by allowing you to have a seat to yourself. Problem?"

It was quite uncomfortable sharing with Rin. She sort of forced herself on me. She's cute, funny, and youthful. I hope she likes me. People have the tendency to think of me as boring. I don't even know why.

I whispered, "So do you like Akita-san?" Dell never likes anyone.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

"You randomly put her on your lap. And walk with her to class. And flirt with her. But you don't even know if you like her? Are you playing her?" I whisper-shouted.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

I rolled my eyes and faced my desk.

I heard Dell get up from his seat. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom and sneak a smoke."

"Have fun with that."

I went back to sitting at my desk, looking at the class. Then, a pretty and tall blonde girl walked over to the back of the room, towards us. I forgot what her name was. The unnamed girl stopped in front of Neru's desk.

She put her hands on her hips. "So, you dating Dell-kun or what?" She didn't seem to ask a question, but demand.

Neru closed her phone calmly and stood up to face her. They glared at each other. "No. I'm not. What do you want?"

Their glares were more than daggers. They were like swords. Or lightsabers.

"Dell-kun. I want Dell-kun." What's with girls liking bad boys?

Neru's eyes narrowed. "Go right ahead. I'm only his friend. I'm guessing you heard about the breakfast-thing. I don't know what came over him."

"Good. When I decide I want someone, I don't stop until I get him."

"How determined of you. Slut."

"Whore."

"Ho."

"Skank."

"Bitch."

The girl smiled widely and broke her glare. "My name is Masuda Lily." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Neru returned her grin and shook her hand firmly. "Akita Neru. Pleasure."

What perfect timing! Dell came back into the room at this exact moment. The whole class stared at him as he went to take his seat. Before he sat down, he looked at Neru and Lily, who were still standing up.

Lily winked and smiled at him before leaving to the front of the class. Neru didn't even look at him and sat down. She pulled out her phone and whispered with Miku again.

What just happened?

I repeated what happened during homeroom to Rin and Kaito at lunch.

"I hate that Lily already." Rin nodded.

I shook my head. "Akita-san doesn't seem to mind. If she doesn't get bothered, you shouldn't either."

"Neru's probably bursting with anger by now. She likes Dell-kun. I can tell. She has this flirtatious look when she talks to him and blushes. Akita Neru doesn't blush."

Uh-oh. Kaito and I exchanged a knowing look.

Kaito whistled. "You know, Dell is one smooth operator. I didn't know he had it him to do all that. I give him props."

"But if Dell was to date either of them, I think he'll end up breaking her heart. He doesn't care about other people's feelings very much." I said.

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Why do boys do that? They get a girl's feelings and just toss them aside. Why?"

Kaito turned to his textbook and started taking notes. He must have known that this wasn't going to be a good conversation.

"I'm sorry Rin-san." I felt the need to apologize on behalf of the male population.

"Do you do that? Would you?"

I avoided her eyes. "Of course not..."

This is obviously not time to bring up my ex-girlfriend.

I've had a relationship longer than any of my friends. It was for almost two years. My ex-girlfriend's name is Sukone Tei. She liked me first and liked me to the end. She was pretty but unusually so. When you think of someone pretty, you think of looks that are similar to Luka, Miku, or Lily. But Tei didn't have a curvy body, long blonde hair, or bright blue eyes. She had long silvery white hair, shiny red eyes, and pale skin. She was delicate.

At first, I only dated her because I felt sorry for her. Then I started to like her too. What I meant by me feeling sorry for her is that she didn't have many friends and not many would approach her. But I didn't care and went up to her anyway. We were good friends. Later, Kaito told me that she liked me and we started to date. I think she truly loved me the entire time I've known her. Because we dated, she met more friends too. I felt happy for her getting along with more people.

But towards the end of ninth grade, she started acting clingier and whinier. She'd randomly start crying and would get mad at me and blame me for things I didn't do. Two weeks before the school year was over, I broke up with her.

I remember her yelling at me through her tears. "You'll never find another girl who'll love you as much as I do!"

I tried to comfort her, but she pushed me away. I looked at her sobbing figure crumpled on the ground and wanted to take it all back. But purely out of pity. But I knew that I never loved her in the way she loved me. I mumbled an apology and left her.

"Len-kun? You there?" Rin was waving her hand in front of my face.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something," I quickly replied.

"You had a blank look in your eye. It doesn't seem very much like you."

"Yeah. I don't zone out often. Sorry."

"It's okay, doesn't matter. Kaito-kun and I were thinking that the eight of us can go grab ice cream after school. Wanna?"

Kaito grinned at the words "ice cream". Of course he would.

I pulled out my black and yellow phone. "I'll send a text to everyone right now."

Apparently Neru is good at hacking into people's phones, because Gakupo, Kaito, Dell, and I suddenly have the girls' numbers. I asked Dell about it and he told me not to worry. I hope so.

After I sent a text to everyone, I waited for the replies. Neru was first, as expected. Then Miku, Dell, and Gakupo, who also had Luka's reply as well. They all said yes.

When I told that to Kaito, he looked ridiculously happy. Probably because of a certain teal-haired girl Who decided to join us.

* * *

**There's something that I need to get off my chest about the Vocaloid fandom.  
Are you aware that Kagamine Len's item is a banana and his color is yellow? And that Kagamine Rin's item is an orange and her color is yellow? The Kagamines are supposed to be very similar, down to their color. Kagamine Rin's color is yellow, not orange. Her character item may be an orange, but it's not her color.  
Ignorant fandom is ignorant.**

**Please excuse my rant. Thank you for reading, please review!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	10. Chapter 10: Akita Rin 2

**A reader noticed the dorm room number for the boys' dorm. And someone else noticed the small Internet meme reference in chapter 8. Good job!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Akita Rin 2  
Tuesday, April 4, 3:15 pm. Crypton's ice cream shop.

Miku and I were the last ones to get to the ice cream shop. Everyone already got their ice cream and was sitting at the only table big enough for eight people.

I smiled widely at the worker, who looked like a senior at our school. "I'd like two scoops of the orange ice cream please." Thank the ice cream gods for orange-flavored ice cream!

Miku wasn't so lucky. "What do you mean "we don't carry leek-flavored ice cream"? It's not that hard to make, is it?" Miku argues with every ice cream salesperson. Leek doesn't exactly make a popular ice cream flavor.

"I'm trying to say that no one makes such an unusual and unique flavor. You can try some of our other flavors if you wish," the poor worker said.

"Hmmph." She pouted. "I'll have a double scoop of vanilla bean on a waffle cone with chocolate sprinkles," Miku quickly said.

What a diva! "I'm sorry." I shot an apologetic smile to the worker. I gave her my money. I put three dollars inside the tips jar.

Usually I'm the demanding one. Why does Miku have to like leeks anyway? Of all things, leeks?

We returned to the table. Luka, Gakupo, Neru, and Dell sat on the other side of the table. Len and Kaito sat across from each other, by the empty seats. I sat down next to Len and Miku sat next to Kaito.

"Did you know that they don't make leek-flavored ice cream?" complained Miku.

"They don't make leek-flavored anything!" I answered. "How many times are we gonna go over this?"

Kaito looked over at our ice creams. "Hatsune-san, is that vanilla bean?" he asked excitedly.

Miku looked up. "Yes. How did you know?"

Kaito looked starry-eyed. "It's common for people to get vanilla on waffle cones, not sugar cones or cups. You don't seem like a plain vanilla person."

I gave him a weird look. I didn't even know there was a difference between vanilla and vanilla bean. Probably because I only eat orange-flavor.

"You can't judge a person until you see what they get for ice cream." Kaito said proudly.

Weirdo.

"Just think of me as an ice cream connoisseur."

Weirdo.

I looked over at Gakupo, Luka, Dell, and Neru. They were arguing about homework. I rolled my eyes. I looked at Len. He was focused on his ice cream.

"Hey. What flavor is that?" I asked.

"Banana," he answered, "with banana chunks."

"Bananas?"

"Don't tell me you're a banana hater too!" he groaned. "Bananas are amazing."

I giggled, "No. It's just I don't meet such a... Banana fanatic often."

"Oh. Well I don't meet a serious leek fan often." He pointed his ice cream at Miku.

"Yeah. No one gets it..." I licked my ice cream. It was so delicious!

"Hey. I heard there's a circus in town this weekend. Wanna go guys?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. I've heard about it. It's called the Dark Woods Circus. It has a reputation for having really creepy acts and they preform only at night. But there's also the carnival rides as well." Luka said.

"A circus and carnival together. What fun!" Kaito said, "we should go!"

"Let's spend the whole day there. Carnival during the day, circus during the night. We can come back before curfew," Miku said.

The others couldn't see it from under the table, but I began to kick my legs against my seat. "Yay!" I'm very excited for this. I've never been to a circus before.

The rest of the week seemed so long until Saturday morning. The girls and I are supposed to meet the guys in the lounge at 11:30. Then we're gonna grab lunch and get a ride from Ted and Dell's sister Haku to the carnival.

There's student parking at Crypton for seniors that can drive. It's rare for students to be able to drive but it must be convenient. Sure is for us.

I checked the clock. It read 11:08. Time to get ready. I changed into a lime green tank top and light blue denim shorts. I repositioned my hair clips and bow. I re-laced my yellow Converse sneakers. I grabbed my small orange shaped bag and threw in a light sweater, my phone, and my wallet. Better to pack light, unlike Miku the bag lady.

Luka was already ready to go and was reading a book. She wore a brown headband, white shirt with random English lyrics in swirly pink font on it, and black shorts.

"Let's go already! I'm too excited to wait around for Miku and Neru!" I bounced up and down.

Luka looked up from her book. "Rin-chan, Neru left a while ago. She met up with Honne-kun."

I stopped bouncing. "Are you serious? Here I was, thinking she and Miku were in the bathroom and closet, indecisive of which outfit to wear.

Now that I think about it, Neru's been more withdrawn from us recently. If Miku doesn't get to her first, I'll confront her about it myself later.

"Oh. Neru wanted to you know that she borrowed your purse. And blue tights. And lip gloss."

Now I'm kinda miffed. Does Neru own anything or does she have to borrow everything of mine?

"Whatever."

"Let's wait for Miku. I'm sure she's almost done."

As if on cue, we heard Miku yelling for us.

"Luka! Rin! Can you help me decide what to wear? I've gone through so many outfits and I can't decide."

We went inside the closet. It looked like a tornado hit it.

I gasped. "Miku! What the heck! The mess! I was just here like 15 minutes ago. It was perfectly fine then!"

"Sorry Rin-chan... I went through everything to find the perfect outfit. I narrowed it down to these three." She gestured to three outfits.

Luka and I looked them over carefully. We pointed at one and nodded to each other.

"This white sundress."

Miku quickly changed into said outfit. "I need accessories!"

Luka looked around the closet. "I like these black and white bracelets. And you can use my purse if you want."

"And these silver sandals!" I suggested.

Miku smiled. "Thank you! What would I ever do without you?"

"You'll probably do nothing without us because you wouldn't be able to decide what to wear."

Luka sighed and checked her watch. "We'll clean this up later. It's almost 11:30."

* * *

**Have you ever been to an anime or comic convention before?  
I went to my first one back in March and it was the greatest experience ever. It was held in Hawaii, walking distance from my home. My sister cosplayed as Len and was proud to strut around the neighborhood in the costume-complete with a banana. There were loads of Vocaloid "Magnet" cosplayers...**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	11. Chapter 11: Honne Dell 2

**I officially think Dell, Neru, M****iku, and Luka chapters are my favorite to write. And they're not even my favorite characters in the Vocaloid fandom.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Honne Dell  
Saturday, April 8, 2:07 pm. Yowane Haku's car.

Neru and I have been spending a lot of time together. Kaito and Rin told me that she likes me. I don't think so. I think she thinks of me as a friend. Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike her. I think she's extremely interesting, smart, funny, talented, pretty...

Kay. Maybe I like her a little. As a friend. I'm pretty sure she's not interested in me. Sure, we flirt with each other sometimes. It doesn't matter. And I don't know. We're just friends. That's all we'll ever be. Just be friends...

Neru nudged me. "We're almost at the carnival. When we're there, wanna get a churro with me?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Sure." I nodded.

Neru went back to her phone. I observed the current setting. Haku is in the driver's seat, Len is next to her on the passenger seat. Rin is sitting to the left of Neru. I'm to Neru's right. Rin is talking with Len and Haku. Neru is furiously typing on her phone. There is a frown on her face and her eyebrows are furrowed.

I crossed my arms. Kaito and Rin also told me that Lily chick likes me too. That, I believe.

Lily is this super-hot girl in my homeroom. A lot of the guys in my class like her. She's pretty and popular, just like the girls everyone likes. She's also been flirting with me all week. When I was with Neru, she'd butt in. Neru never showed any signs of annoyance or jealousy. In fact, they'd engage in polite small talk. If Neru liked me, wouldn't she be jealous? See? Kaito and Rin are wrong. She doesn't like me in that way.

* * *

We arrived at the carnival. I could see the circus tents in the distance past the merry-go-round. I'm really looking forward to the circus.

We met up with Kaito and the others shortly.

"What do you want to do first?" asked Miku. "There are plenty of rides and games to choose from."

"Rides," I said.

"Games," said Gakupo.

"Churros," said Neru.

I let out a chuckle. "I'll take you to get you your churro."

Miku giggled. "How about we split up? Those who want to ride rides and those who want to play games?"

Rin, Len, Kaito, Miku, Neru and I wanted to ride rides. Apparently Luka gets motion sickness and couldn't bear riding rides. Gakupo would follow her wherever she went so they went to play games.

I felt a tug on my arm. I looked down.

My eyes met a pair of shiny gold ones. "Churro?"

I smiled. "There's a stand over there."

* * *

Rin and Miku are possibly the most persuasive people I've met. I prefer rides with a lot of movement. But the Ferris wheel? Nope. Nuh-uh. No. Rides that have a lot of movement are okay, even if they go somewhat high. But the Ferris wheel is slow and just goes to the top, high above everything else. As unmanly as I sound, I'm ridiculously afraid of heights!

Rin and Len sat in a cart first. Miku and Kaito took a cart next. Neru and I took a cart and took seats across from each other. Neru didn't even look up from her phone and we started to go up. When she did look up, she saw me having some sort of a panic attack. I shut my eyes and held my breath.

"It's okay, I'm here." She put her hands over my shaking fists.

"I'm s-s-sorry. I'm j-j-just really scared of h-h-heights..." I feel like a baby, stuttering like this. My pride as Honne Dell went down the toilet.

"I know, I know." She moved over to share seats with me. Her knee touched mine. "The ride's gonna be over soon. It'll be alright."

Surprisingly when she moved, the cart didn't rock or move significantly. I thought the weight would be unbalanced. I was grateful, but not enough to enjoy the ride.

"But I want you to face your fear. Please open your eyes." Neru's voice sounded like smooth and soft. Like honey.

"Uh-uh... Okay..." I slowly opened my eyes.

She smiled sweetly and hugged me tightly. "It's not so bad, right?"

I nodded.

She still hasn't let go of me.

"You don't even need to look down. Just keep your eyes on me." She looked like a golden-eyed angel.

We sat there, not speaking a word and just looking into each other's eyes.

I flicked her ponytail. "You're not gonna speak of this to anyone, right?"

She shook her head. "Not unless you want me to. I didn't even take pictures." She gave me a flirty wink.

She looks adorable. And her arms were still around me. I had this strange urge to kiss her cheek.

She reached into my shirt pocket and took out my pack of cigarettes. She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I shrugged. "Mind if I light one? Now would be the perfect time for one."

She rolled her big eyes. "The ride is pretty long... Go ahead. Don't blame me if you get in trouble."

She has got to be the most amazing girl I've met. I lit one and took a drag. "You're a doll."

"Mhmm." She closed her eyes and leaned into me further.

"Let me know if my smoking bothers you." I didn't want to scare her off or anything. Not that I could have. We're sort of riding a Ferris wheel.

Her eyes focused on me. She whispered, "You look sooo hot right now." She dragged the word 'so' out and I shivered. Her eyes grew wide and she blushed. She let go of me quickly. "Did I just say that? God! I sound pathetic. Ignore me."

My ego isn't as big as Kaito's can be.

I exhaled and looked away. "Nah. You're not." I reassured her.

I hugged her with one arm and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smells good, like sakura blossoms.

Neru looked up. "Hmmm? What was that for?"

"For being too god-damned adorable." I smiled.

She flipped her hair dramatically. "I try."

"You're a trip, Neru-chan."

She smirked. "Neru-chan? I didn't know we were close enough to call each other that, Dell-chan."

Did I just say that out loud? I'm such an idiot. "Sorry. Akita-san. It slipped out." I felt my blush grow darker.

She laughed and stuck her tongue out. "It's okay. I know it's hard to resist calling me that when I'm this cute." She hugged me again.

I laughed. The Ferris wheel isn't so bad.

* * *

**I have few, subtle Vocaloid song references in a lot of my chapters. Can you name each one?**

**Your reviews are really encouraging! Thank you for reading. I'd love feedback, corrections, questions, and criticisms.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	12. Chapter 12: Megurine Luka 2

Chapter 12: Megurine Luka 2  
Saturday, April 8, 5:28 pm. Carnival.

I think Gakupo is in love with me. Seriously in love with me. I don't want to lead him on. But I don't want to tell him now. He looks too happy.

"Megurine-san! Look what I won for you!" He held up a large stuffed dolphin.

He looked very cute holding the dolphin like that. "How did you know that I like sea creatures? Thank you, Kamui-kun."

Ughhh! There I go, leading him on again. I'm a horrible person.

"Are you alright, Megurine-san? Would you like some water? Are you ill?" His periwinkle eyes were full of concern.

"I'm alright. It's just hot. Let's go get something to drink."

We found a bench not far from here and sat down with our drinks.

"How are you enjoying the carnival, Megurine-san?"

"I'm having a lovely time." I admitted. "Are you?"

He smiled genuinely. "Every moment I spend with you is a lovely time for me."

I gave him an odd look. "Kamui-kun? Do you like me? Like really like me?"

"Yes. Of course."

I frowned slightly. "As in, more than friends?"

Gakupo's light eyes looked bright. "Yes."

"Oh. I'm sorry..."

His face fell. "Why are you sorry? Do you hate me?"

"No! No! Don't look sad. I don't hate you. You're my friend. You're my close friend."

He looked down. "Is this what the term 'friend zone' is?"

"I guess." I took his hand. "But it's possible to get out of it."

His eyes met mine. "Thank you, Megurine-san. For our friendship. I hope we can be friends for a long time. And perhaps, our friendship can blossom to something even more beautiful."

I felt my blush growing darker on my face. I let go of his hand. "I've wanted to ask you something. You're very respectful and formal to everyone, including your best friends. Is there a particular reason?"

"I come from a long line of lords and samurais. Our family has pride on showing respect. Also, my parents were away often in my childhood so my grandmother raised me. She was a wonderful and respectful woman," he answered fondly.

"Is that why you act out of this generation?" I joked.

"I guess so." He laughed.

I looked around. There were many people and many rides here.

"Do you want to ride rides? I can handle something not too fast."

"I have never ridden a merry-go-round. Will you ride with me?"

I gasped. "You've never? Let's go." I tugged on his arm.

I've never seen anyone enjoy the merry-go-round this much. Gakupo was laughing and smiling like a child. It was so cute! We sat on shiny white horses next to each other. I asked someone to take pictures of us with my camera. We went through the pictures afterwards.

"Look at this picture, Kamui-kun!" It was a picture of him and me looking at each other and laughing. "We look so cute! Can I send this to Miku and the others?"

Gakupo smiled. "As long as I get one too."

I looked at it gingerly. It was a perfect photo.

"Can I make it my phone's wallpaper?"

"If you wish. I bet I can send it to you right now if Neru was with me. She always carries around spare cords and things to connect things to her phone."

"Yes please. Speaking of which, would you like to meet up with the others? It has been four hours."

"Okay. I'll text Neru." Texting her is always more effective than calling her.

As expected, she replied instantly. "They're at the face painting booth."

We arrived shortly. Miku had a green heart with a music note and leek inside it on her left cheek. Rin and Len had matching yellow half-broken hearts. Rin's one was on her left cheek and Len's on his right. When they squished their faces beside each other's, it completed the heart.

"Luka-chan! Where did you win such a cute dolphin? It's huge!" exclaimed Rin.

"It was from a balloon-dart game. I didn't win it. Kamui-kun won it for me."

Miku cried, "So cute!"

"Not as cute as your face paintings," I said.

"Would you like to get a face painting too, Megurine-san?" asked Gakupo.

I giggled. "No thanks. I wouldn't want it to smear."

"Should I get one?"

I giggled again. "Yes! Let me choose though." I gave him a light blue fish.

"What's it supposed to mean?" asked Rin.

I shrugged. "I like tuna."

"Cute!" squealed Miku.

"If anyone else saw it they'd think he's some fish lover," Dell pitched in.

Gakupo grabbed a thin paint brush, dipped it in purple paint. Then he grabbed my arm.

I squirmed. "What are you doing?"

"I want to give you one too." Gakupo's grip was firm. "But I will give you one on your arm."

I felt myself blush but didn't resist the paintbrush.

Gakupo painted a purple blob and painted something over it in white paint. It said 'heart stealer'.

I ignored the 'heart stealer'. "What's the purple blob?" I asked.

"It is an eggplant!" he cried.

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Don't get him started on eggplants. He's convinced that they're the greatest produce ever harvested."

"But they are!" Gakupo insisted.

I couldn't help but laugh. It's all too hilarious.

"You guys are adorable, you know that?" I can feel a deep blush on my face. I don't know why I said that. I don't usually say anything like that.

"I appreciate the compliment, but honestly, tell me something I don't know!" Kaito did a faux diva hair flip.

We all laughed. He can act like a diva as big as Miku and Rin can.

Neru didn't look up from her phone. "The circus starts in two hours. Dell and I already bought everyone's tickets, if you guys don't mind."

We thanked them and proceeded to the food booths.

I can't wait for the circus!

* * *

**I centered this fanfiction around Japanese Vocaloids. I'm pretty much an Otaku...**

**For those of you who don't live in Japan, have you ever wanted to go? If you have, please tell me about your experience.  
****I went five years ago, it was my last trip. But I was so young it wasn't even considered anything. I need to go again!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	13. Chapter 13: Hatsune Miku 2

Chapter 13: Hatsune Miku 2  
Saturday, April 8, 7:30 pm. Dark Woods Circus.

The Dark Woods Circus will begin at 8. When we reached the tent, we were greeted by two beautiful women on stilts. The white haired one was wearing a violet-blue pinstripe tuxedo and top hat. The blonde woman had a long side-ponytail like Neru's and wore a long blue-green dress. They smiled at us and let us in after we showed our tickets.

We got to our seats early and chatted excitedly. I sat at the end, next to Kaito's right.

The program's description said that the Dark Woods Circus was a famous circus that traveled across the world. There are many acts including fire breathing, knife swallowing, acrobats, clowns, and trapeze artists. Behind this circus tent is another tent that has many exhibits containing 'wonders'.

The lights dimmed and a spotlight was aimed at the middle of the stage. A clear, loud voice introduced himself as the head ringmaster.

"Welcome to the Dark Woods Circus. My name is Big Al and I am the ringmaster. I will not only be performing for you today, but I will also be your emcee."

Suddenly, a puff of magenta smoke appeared on the stage, in the light. When the smoke cleared, a handsome man with a large smile appeared. His smile looked almost sinister.

"And let the show begin!"

With more puffs of smoke in various neon colors, a cage with a white lion and large blue balls appeared.

What a beautiful lion. I've never even seen a picture of an albino lion before. It is said that this circus usually has exotic creatures, especially the ones on display. I'm awfully curious.

Big Al opened up a cage and started to call out commands and tricks to the lion, treating him as though him was a household dog. Then the lion hopped on to the ball. He ran on the ball to get it moving. The lion circled the stage on the ball a few times before Big Al stopped him. The lion rolled over to Big Al, never getting off the ball. He then started to jump from ball to ball.

After Big Al and the albino lion, the stage cleared with more colorful smoke and was replaced by tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, and acrobats. The performers were all women with elaborate makeup and hair styles.

A tightrope walker with scarlet hair and matching skintight outfit began to cautiously walk on the tightrope. The tightrope looked as if it was about twenty-five feet in the air. Suddenly she broke out in a series of skips, jumps, cartwheels, and an impressive performance of gymnastics across the tightrope. When she got to other side, she smiled toothily and jumped off, head first.

I heard myself gasp and clutched Kaito's hand.

About three feet from the ground, she disappeared with a puff of red smoke. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"This circus uses a lot of magic tricks," Kaito said.

"Isn't it wondrous?" I breathed, my eyes never leaving the stage.

Kaito chuckled and entwined his fingers with mine.

My eyes grew wide and I tore my gaze from the acrobats and clowns on the stage. I looked up to see Kaito's eyes. They were warm and focused on mine. They're a deep dark blue. You'll easily get lost in them.

Like I am now.

He gave my hand a squeeze and turned his attention to the stage. My heart was still pounding and I hoped I wasn't blushing so noticeably.

Kaito and I held hands for the entire circus performance. He had cute commentary throughout it, like when I was afraid that the knife swallower was going to injure himself and when the fire breathers blew flames at the clowns.

The eight of us are going to see the exhibits. He and I still didn't let go of each others' hands. None of our friends seemed to notice.

The tent itself was dark and creepy. I shivered as we entered. The displays looked ominous and spooky.

"Oooh! Look at this!" Rin excitedly ran up to a display: 'The Beast that Eats Cold Things'. "He's supposed to be a half dog-half human beast that only eats cold things."

"Hmm. Is it really?" Len read the description out loud. "The beast understands basic tricks your average dog can perform. He eats only cold meat."

"Sit, Kaito commanded.

The beast complied.

"Good boy," he praised.

The beast grinned, revealing sharp, pointed teeth.

I was getting spooked. I squeezed Kaito's hand and pulled it in a direction different from the beast that eats cold things.

We went to another exhibit. This one displayed a pair of Siamese twins. They're called 'The One With Two Heads'. They were dressed in a clown costume and were juggling many bowling pins. One was smiling while the other was frowning.

"Curious. How curious." Neru mumbled to her phone. "How old are you guys?" she asked.

"We cannot-" the smiling twin started.

"-answer that," the frowning twin finished.

Neru didn't look up. "I see. Many Siamese twins are separated at birth because they usually end up dying later. But you two seem healthy juggling those pins."

The frowning twin's frown deepened. "Of course we are."

"We're awfully lucky." The smiling twin's smile deepened.

"Thank you for your impressive show of juggling. Let's go look at more displays guys," Luka quickly said.

"What was that about?" I asked when we were out of the twins' earshot.

"I sorry. I guess I just got creeped out? This place gives me the creeps."

"Good, that's what it's supposed to do." Dell smirked.

I decided to spoil the fun even more. "I'm with Luka. I'm really creeped out. Let's leave soon. It's 10 o'clock. We need to get back to school before 11 anyway."

Rin used her childish whiny voice, "Can we at least see the Deformed Diva? She's the main attraction."

My heart fell. The Deformed Diva was the exhibit I least wanted to see. I wanted the others to forget about her. She is supposed to be the creepiest one here. Apparently she is blind and has goat legs. I think the reason why I want to see it the least is because I want to be a hit idol, a diva. Naturally, the Deformed Diva seems frightening.

Rin led the way in a fearless march. Kaito and I were at the back of the group. He was walking while I dragged my feet halfheartedly. I gripped his hand tighter, not caring if it was losing blood circulation.

Kaito murmured in my ear, "don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm right here."

I looked to my left with glassy eyes. "Uh-huh. I'm not scared," I squeaked in a voice higher-pitched than normal.

That's when you can tell I'm absolutely terrified of something. My eyes are glassy and unfocused and my voice goes up a few octaves. It's quite embarrassing.

With a few more steps, we made it to the very back. The lights were dim so we couldn't see to the back. What we could see looked like a tiny stage with cage bars at the front. We stood at the stage for a minute and saw nothing.

"Hmmm. Maybe she's not here today," Kaito said.

I have never felt so reassured before.

Rin sighed. "Dang. I guess we should go. It's almost 10:30."

We turned and started to head towards the exit.

I heard a whisper behind me. "W-wait. P-please don't go yet."

I slowly turned around to see the Deformed Diva. I froze. Kaito turned with me and reassuringly squeezed my hand.

I could hear the others leaving, but Kaito and I didn't stop them.

The Deformed Diva truly did have goat legs. She wore shades over her sightless eyes and a once-beautiful pink gown. Her long hair was in pigtails like mine.

"W-would you care to l-listen to my s-s-song?" she asked, keeping her head looking straight ahead.

I swallowed nervously but answered, "yes. Please."

She began to sing. Her song's lyrics meant that one had a grand time at the circus but now it was time to go home, where he or she belongs. Her voice was sorrowful and powerful.

"You have a lovely voice," I told her. "Did you write that song yourself?"

She turned her head in our direction. "Yes."

I nodded even though she couldn't see me.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered.

"E-excuse me? Did y-you mean me?"

I didn't know she heard me! "Yes. You are beautiful. You look elegant and graceful, especially with your long hair and legs. I also wear my hair like that."

"Do you mean it? N-no one's ever told me such a thing before." She came closer to the edge of her stage.

"Do you like to perform?"

"Yes. I always did. But because of my imperfections, I couldn't perform like I wanted to. That's why I joined this circus."

I can feel my heart break. "I'm so sorry. But please, do continue to sing. It's beautiful. I hope to be a professional singer myself."

She nodded. "Always do what you know you want to do. If you have a dream, do everything you can to make it a reality. Don't accept no for an answer. Never let anything stand in your way."

I felt myself nod again, even though she couldn't see me. "Thank you. Good luck in this circus. Goodbye. Thank you again." I bowed and tugged on Kaito's arm to leave.

* * *

**My question is: Do you like Utaus? If so, for their voices and characters?  
****I don't mind them at all. Personally I like Teto, Tei, and Ritsu more than some Vocaloids. Also, how could I forget Momone Momo, the singer of my favorite Internet meme, Nyan Cat.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	14. Chapter 14: Akita Neru 2

Chapter 14: Akita Neru 2  
Saturday, April 8, 11:04 pm. Dorm room 1925.

After we met up with Miku and Kaito, we met up with Haku and Ted. We made it to school quicker than we did earlier. It's a wonder why our school has such a late curfew, even on weekends. 11 pm is quite unreasonable. But I'm not going to complain.

I rolled my eyes. Rin didn't bother getting ready for bed properly. Instead she just kicked her shoes off and passed out on her bed. How expected of her. Miku claimed the bathroom first, as usual. Since someone else is always using the bathroom, poor Luka resorted to the main bathroom downstairs.

As I was waiting for Miku to finish up, I looked through my phone to see all the photos I collected from the carnival and circus. I deleted some of the worst ones but still ended up with over two hundred photos. I'm not some paparazzi or anything! The others sent me photos as well.

I uploaded all the photos to Cryptonization and put them in a new album. As my job as an administrator of this site, I need to utilize all the features regularly. If I didn't do that, I'd look like a lame sellout or something.

A colleague of mine made a to-do list feature on Cryptonization. You can make lists for anything and control who can see them. I've seen students use it for daily homework assignments. I list anything and everything in my to-do lists, from homework to further improvements on the site. I typed a new item on the list: 'Make tagging available on photos, albums, videos, etc.'. That'd make viewing things and organization so much easier.

Miku quietly came out of the bathroom. "It's all yours." She pointed backwards at the bathroom with her thumb.

I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and stepped in. I decided to take a hot bath. It never fails to relax me. I also do my best thinking during a hot bath. I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting my thoughts ramble.

There's a chemistry quiz coming up. Should we have a group study session? Nah. I don't have a pair of patterned tights. I want a pair. Luka reads a lot of books. I should ask for a recommendation since I'm not very literate. Are there any good movies out? Does Dell like me or is he playing with me?

I took another deep breath.

Doesn't matter. I don't like him that way. I think? We're nothing more than friends. And I like our friendship. If he likes me, I'd know. Is Lily serious about Dell? I can set them up or something if she still likes him. I want to see Dell happy. He'd be happy with a girlfriend.

I felt myself blush.

I think I'd be happier with a boyfriend. What am I thinking? I have no time for a relationship. I have things to do, not boys to flirt with. My life now is fine. I have good friends, I go to a good school, and my phone is tremendously upgraded.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I got a text. My phone was next to the bathtub. I reached for a towel and dried my hands. It was from a classmate, Meito. He's really nice and cute.

Meito:  
'Would you care to go out with me tomorrow?'

No harm in just one date, right?

Neru:  
'Sure. What do you have in mind?'

Meito:  
'I haven't been to the school's beach yet. Wanna hang out there?'

Neru:  
'I'll bring my swimsuit ;)'

Meito:  
'Haha see you tomorrow at 3?'

Neru:  
'Yup. See you. I've got to go. Bye!'

Meito:  
'Bye ;)'

There. I've done it. I accepted an invitation to a date. It will be my first date this school year. And with such a hottie too! Most people may think that asking through text is insensitive, but I obviously prefer text.

I got out of my bath and dried myself with a towel and put my hair in a towel.

I stepped outside. Luka was up, filing her nails. Miku was by the window, furthest from the bed. She quietly talking on the phone. Rin was still asleep, snoring softly. Her curled position reminded me of a child's. I went in the closet to change into my pajamas. When I got out, Luka was done filing her nails and was now painting them pale pink.

"I heard your phone ring during your bath. Was it a text from Dell?" Luka asked. Way to beat around the bush.

I began to towel dry my hair. "No. Do you know who Sakine-kun is? He's in your class. He asked me out on a date."

Luka frowned lightly and gave me a confused look. "Sakine Meito? Did you say yes?" She looked like she was going to say more but closed her mouth. She gets annoyed when people ask many questions at once. But this way, our conversations end up so long.

"I said yes."

Her frown deepened. "When will this be?"

"Tomorrow at 3. We're going to the beach."

"How do you even know him?"

"I've spoken to him during math and tech."

"Why did you say yes?"

"He's nice and cute. What harm would it be to go out on one date? We may never go out ever again. I'm not marrying the guy. Don't be so serious."

"But weren't you and Honne-kun together?"

"Never. We're just friends. That's all we were and that's all we ever will be. We'll just be friends."

"I see. Are you sure you don't like Honne-kun?"

"We're friends."

"Okay. Does he like you?"

I shrugged. "He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve and he can get sarcastic. It's hard to know exactly what he's thinking."

Luka opened her mouth to say something then closed it. She nodded once and spoke, "I see. Well, have fun on your date tomorrow. It's very late. Let's go to sleep." She got in her bed.

"Good night." I turned off the lights and fell on to my bed. I went under my covers and flipped my phone open.

I was greeted by notifications from various websites, emails, text messages, and update alerts. I went through my usual routine of updating apps and programs, checking my emails and replying when needed, checking notifications and replying, and lastly my text messages. The most recent one was sent eight minutes ago.

Dell:  
'Hey Neru-san, can I ask you for advice? It's a personal matter.'

My heart soared. He trusts me enough to seek advice.

Neru:  
'Sure. I'm happy to help.'

Dell:  
'Don't tell anyone.'

Neru:  
'I promise.'

Dell:  
'Here goes nothing: I need girl advice.'

What? I felt my jaw drop with surprise. I quickly sent a response so he wasn't thinking that I was laughing or anything similar to that.

Neru:  
'Girl advice? Why don't you ask Kaito? He seems very knowledgeable of us females.'

Dell:  
'Haha. I want advice from a girl since I'm not good at this kind of stuff.'

I ignored my quick and loud heartbeats. Irregular heartbeats can't possibly be unusual for teens my age.

Neru:  
'I see. So what do you need?'

Dell:  
'So there's this girl I sort of like. She's really nice and pretty. I'm sure you know her. You know everyone.'

My eyes grew wide. My fingers rigorously punched the keypad in response.

Neru:  
'Really? Who?'

I wanted to act aggressively, but caps lock would have scared him off.

Dell:  
'Let's not give away names here...'

I frowned. Then why bother bring it up?

Neru:  
'Fine. What kind of advice do you need?'

Dell:  
'I want to get to know her better by going on a date with her. Is that too bold of me?'

I sighed. I bet I'm the only one who knows of the he cute things he says.

Neru:  
'Honne-kun, you're a hot guy who oozes self-confidence and cockiness. Many girls have their eye on you. Lily is throwing herself at you, and boys worship the ground she walks on. So it won't be bold of you at all.'

Dell:  
'Wow. Babe, you're an ego booster, you know that?'

All egoists fall for pep talks like these.

Neru:  
'I don't want to exaggerate but what I said was true.'

Dell:  
'Thanks. :) Should I ask her out?'

YES. PLEASE. MIKU AND RIN WERE RIGHT, WE'D BE AMAZING TOGETHER.

Neru:  
'Yes. Be cool about it.'

Dell:  
'I'm always cool.'

Huh? Isn't he supposed to be asking me out? I waited a full minute before replying.

Neru:  
'When are you gonna ask her?'

Dell:  
'Obviously I'm gonna do it in person! I'm gonna ask her out tomorrow, if I get a chance to see her. What kind of douche asks over the phone?'

How gentlemanly. But he knows I prefer anything through phone.

Neru:  
'Good luck with that then.'

Dell:  
'But just in case, can I have her phone number? You can find it for me, right?'

My jaw dropped again. What? What's going on? We have each others' numbers already. Is he talking about someone else? And I was so sure about all this too.

I pinched my thigh as punishment for having such a big head. Of course it's someone else! He's been playing me! I was a fool.

Neru:  
'Sure. Who is it?'

There was approximately forty seconds of pause before I received his response.

Dell:  
'Do you know who IA-san is? She's in the other class.'

My phone slipped from my hands. I felt my eyes water just a bit. I shook them away.

Neru:  
'Yes. I do know her. And I'll send you her number shortly.'

I sent him IA's number. I frowned. She is so pretty and sweet. To think that cute and innocent girls were his type surprised me.

Dell:  
'Thanks! I'll tell you how it goes.'

Neru:  
'No problem. Once again, good luck.'

Dell:  
'Thanks. You know, sometimes I trust you more than Len and them. And I've known them for much longer.'

Now my heart ached. I don't know why, since I haven't been flat out rejected. I've simply gotten my hopes up for a possible event. I was silly for assuming.

Neru:  
'I'm glad you trust me. I trust you too. You're one of my closest friends.'

Dell:  
'You are too.'

I sent him a picture of him and me at the circus with a text that said 'Our friendship.' We were sitting so close. Half of my body was leaning on him. He and I were both looking into each other's eyes and laughing. If anyone didn't know better, they'd think we were a couple.

Dell:  
'That's a great picture. Mind if I make it my phone's wallpaper?'

You want to go on a date with another girl. But your phone's wallpaper is a picture of you and a girl in an intimate position different from said girl. Good going, Honne Dell.

Neru:  
'I guess our phones will match then."

Dell:  
'Thanks. You're my best friend. You know that?'

I felt a single tear run down my cheek. Only Miku and Rin have ever directly called me their best friend. Luka never calls anyone individually her best friend. She's too respectful for that. Dell doesn't seem like someone who'd just tell someone intimate things like this. My eyes watered more.

Neru:  
'Thanks sweetheart. You're mine too. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye.'

With slow movement, I closed my phone. I sniffled and shed another tear.

And that will be my last.

* * *

**Please leave a review if you liked the chapter!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	15. Chapter 15: Kamui Gakupo 2

**Out of curiosity, do you read author's notes?  
Because I do. I put effort in the author's notes too, you know :(**

* * *

Chapter 15: Kamui Gakupo 2  
Sunday, April 9, 2:15 pm. One of Crypton's small parks.

It is a beautiful Sunday. I am spending it with my beloved Luka. I have convinced her to join me for lunch and a study session for our upcoming chemistry quiz. She gave in after I suggested that we eat sushi for lunch. I find it very adorable that she has a soft spot for seafood.

We are currently sitting outside, under a tree. The sun is bright in the sky but it is pleasantly cool under the shade. I cannot fathom seeing Luka any more flawless than now. She is wearing a long sweater-like dress over a pair of dark leggings and simple ankle boots. Her hair is up in a messy bun.

Luka cleared her throat. "Kamui-kun. Can we take a break from studying for a moment?"

"Sure Megurine-san." I reached for my tea and drank. I prefer hot tea over iced tea. Luka said she was pleased that she and I shared tea preference.

She checked her watch. From where I am sitting, the watch read 2:16. She moved her bag to the base of the tree and lay down with her upper back against her bag.

"Kamui-kun. Do you believe in fate?" I looked at her eyes. They were distant and unfocused.

This is an unusual and unexpected question. "Yes. I believe in fate, along with love at first sight, and that everything happens for a reason."

"I also believe in fate." She sighed. "Do you think it was fate that Miku-chan became my friend and Shion-kun became your friend? Their natural want for being friendly and meeting those of the opposite sex made us become friends. It was a small event, meeting you. But now that we look back, it wasn't so small. Now I'm convinced that our friendship was fated."

Luka is so much more interesting today. "I apologize Megurine-san, but what is the significance of asking such a question and saying all those things?"

He eyes snapped back into focus. Her light green-blue eyes looked up to me. "I... I don't know. I don't know why I said all that. I didn't mean for my mind to wander like that either. I'm sorry if I said weird things." She sat up.

I didn't know what to say now. "Would you like to get back to chemistry now?"

"No. I'm confident that we'll score well on our quizzes tomorrow. Would you care to join me for a walk?"

"Of course." I packed up my things and got up. I offered her my hand to help her up. She took it. Her dainty hand was warm and soft. My hand felt comfortable with hers inside. Her touch sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. But all too quickly, she let go.

"Do you have anywhere in mind that you want to walk to?" Her voice tinkled.

"Anywhere is fine."

She sighed softly. "It's alright if you have an opinion too."

"But I really do think anywhere is fine, Megurine-san."

She let out a giggle. "Okay. Let's just keep to this path then."

We walked together silently for a few minutes. Until she spoke again.

"Kamui-kun. This silence is getting to me. Talk."

"Words cannot explain the joy I have walking with you this very moment. What is there to say?"

She sighed. She has been doing more of that today. "I don't know. Ask me something. Then it'll start a conversation."

"Alright." I wonder what I can ask her. "What type of music do you like to listen to? One's personality can be well described through the music he or she prefers."

She looked up at me and smiled. Then she looked straight ahead again. "I may not look it, but I like rock, metal, and heavy metal music."

How unusual! "You are right. I never would have guessed you to like those genres of music."

"I prefer many songs of that type of genre, but music is like colors. Just because you like one color, doesn't mean you only wear that color. You need to give variety to what you wear and wear different colors. So the entirety of my preference in music isn't solely rock and metal."

I chuckled. "I like your analogy."

"What type of music do you like?"

"I do not have a major preference to music genres. I like classical or traditional songs to modern pop and rock. I listen to songs depending on what my current mood or setting is."

"I see." she said, nodding her head. "Do you play any instruments? I play the piano and like to play classical pieces."

"I do not know how to play any instruments. And I would love to hear you play sometime, if that is alright."

Luka laughed. "If I ever feel up to it. I may not be as good as you expect."

"I am sure you are perfectly adept at playing." Luka seems to be good at many things.

"I hope so." She looked up at me. "Why did you apply to Crypton Academy?"

"Not only did my friends apply, but my family and I also believed that it was the best school that would bring me towards success."

"Hmmm. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I am destined to continue my family's business. My family owns a bank."

"Oh. I don't know what I want to be yet." She blushed. "I've gotten offers for jobs already. I'm not interested in those types of jobs. And I'm only a high school freshman!"

"What sort of jobs?" I was very curious. It could not be anything bad could it?

"Don't tell anyone else. I haven't even told Miku and them either." Her voice was soft. "I've gotten several offers for modeling contracts." Her blush turned several shades darker.

My jaw dropped. Luka is certainly beautiful. I can now imagine her on the cover of a magazine. "That is something to be proud of though, is it not?"

"I'm embarrassed. And I especially don't want to tell Miku."

"Why not? She is your best friend. I am sure she will be happy for you."

Her blush faded. "Other than my mother, you're the only one that knows of this. I can't tell Miku because her dream is to be a famous diva. She wants to be a hit pop sensation. I don't want to publicize myself through modeling. I've actually gotten offers from major modeling companies. The industry is difficult and competition is tough. Models these days find talent to be both a model and a singer. Or a model and actress. Miku wants to be mainly a pop idol but with that comes acting and modeling. Even the slightest bit of competition makes a difference."

"Wow. I would have never thought. But if you want to model, go for it. You can not let Miku's happiness take away your chance of happiness."

"I don't want to model. I've never wanted to model. I don't want my face plastered on advertisements. And I want my friends to be happy."

"You are very loyal. That is yet another admirable trait of yours."

"Oh stop it." She giggled and playfully swatted my arm.

I smiled. "You said only your mother and I know of this. Your father doesn't know?"

She stopped walking. "I don't have a father. I've never met him."

"I-I am so sorry for bringing it up! I am so sorry." Why did I ask that? I have made things so awkward! Then again, how could I have known?

"It's alright. Anyone would have wondered the same thing." Luka's eyes had a glassy look to them when she met my eyes. "And I've never met him and that's probably a good thing. What happened in the past isn't important."

She continued walking. I followed without hesitance.

What could have happened? I hope nothing bad happened to my dear Luka.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! You can leave a review. If you want. That'd be nice. I like email alerts. Please. Thank you.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	16. Chapter 16: Shion Kaito 2

Chapter 16: Shion Kaito 2  
Sunday, April 9, 2:17 pm. Dorm room 13943.

"Go Rin-chan! Punch him off!" I'm cheering Rin on against Len in an intense game of Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii.

Len is a huge video game nerd. If he could get paid for playing and beating games, he'd be a millionaire. Because he loves video games so much, he invited Rin to come over and play with us.

Yesterday, I casually dropped the hint that Len loves all sorts of video games. But when I did so, they were engaged in a heated debate about fruit. Rin somehow managed to steer their debate to video games easily. Len's eyes sparkled at her interest and invited her over quickly. He missed her smug smile. She seems to be the type that gets what she wants.

When Rin came over, she tackled the two of us with a hug.

"I've missed you two!" She said with a huge grin. She let go of me but kept her arm over Len's shoulders. They're only about an inch apart in height. Which is pretty short.

"Missed us? We hung out all day yesterday." I stated.

She stuck her tongue out. "Is it wrong to miss my favorite boys on campus?"

Her big round eyes scanned over the room quickly and she let out a small squeal. She ran over to the bed furthest from the window and hopped on to it. She has the attention span of a six year-old.

"This is Len-kun's, right?" She grinned.

"How did you know?" Len asked, shocked that she identified his.

"You have a yellow pillowcase and a banana shaped alarm clock on your nightstand. And I figured Dell-kun's is closest to the window because of his smoking habit. Kaito-kun's is the one next to that Dell-kun's because his laptop is on the bed. I've seen his laptop before. It's dark blue. Gakupo-kun's is the one closest to the door, between yours and Kaito-kun's. His is quite plain, like Dell-kun's, but Gakupo-kun already has a framed picture of him and Luka-chan on his nightstand."

"What sort of deduction skill is this..." I heard Len mumble.

I chuckled. "You can tell whose stuff is whose by looking at the room?" She truly amuses me.

"I think so." She looked around the room again. "Gakupo-kun moves fast, getting that photo framed. They're not dating, does he know that?"

I groaned. "Please don't bring it up! Megurine Luka-san. That's all he talks about. Luka-san must have casted a spell over him. He's lovesick. Someone call a doctor."

She nodded. "I expected as much."

"Excuse me? Are we gonna sit on my bed and talk or play some video games?"

Of course Len would be the one to say that.

We're currently playing on multiplayer: Len versus Rin and me. Len easily defeated me and now it's up to Rin. I know that he's going easy on her. Everyone knows that she loves to win.

"Go! He only has one life left! Get the item!" It's quite exciting to see Len playing someone and letting them win. He's easygoing for everything but video games. His personality changes the moment he touches a gaming console.

"No! I'll just float away!" Rin exclaimed. Her character did just that and dodged Len's attack. You know, she's not bad. She's certainly way more skillful than I am.

"This is such a long game. I will win!" Len squinted at the screen.

Both of their characters are close to losing their last lives.

"If I go down, you go down with me!" Rin leaned forward and poked her tongue out between her lips. Such concentration!

They both leaned closer to the TV screen and gripped their remote controls tighter. I bit back a laugh.

Her character charged towards Len's, punched and grabbed him, and charged off the platform. Because she did that, both their characters ended up dying. What a tie!

Len turned to Rin and put his Wii remote down. "Wow. Impressive kamikaze mission."

Rin and I burst out laughing. Kamikaze mission. Len cracks me up!

"It was the only way to end this game. Kaito-kun must have been so bored watching us play. You killed him off so quickly."

"I wanted to assess your playing ability?" Len tried to pull off innocence.

"Whatever! Do you want to keep playing on the Wii or wanna do something else?"

Len opened his mouth to say something. Probably to suggest another video game. "Wanna grab some ice cream and hang out outside? It's a perfectly nice day and we're wasting it indoors." I suggested.

"It's not wasting, I'm having fun." Len complained.

Rin tugged on Len's arm. "C'mon. It'll be more fun than staying indoors."

I smiled at Rin. "Not you too!" groaned Len.

* * *

Rin and I succeeded in getting Len out of our room. We got our ice creams and are now heading towards the school's beach. We don't plan on swimming or anything, but there are plenty of lounge chairs to hang out on.

The three of us are discussing the homework assignments that were assigned. Well, Rin and I are complaining while Len was trying to convince us that the homework wasn't that bad. In the middle of our discussion, Rin stopped and pointed.

"Look." She whispered, pointing at two people headed towards some lounge chairs. They weren't near us, so we couldn't see their faces well.

"What about them?" I asked.

"That's Neru. Can't you tell? She's the only one that wears her hair like that. Who's the guy with her? Is she on a date? She didn't tell me. What's going on!" Her voice got louder and louder with each sentence.

"I can see that she's Akita-san. I'm not sure who the guy is." This guy was tall with short brown hair. "But what's wrong with going on a date and not telling you?" Len asked.

Rin gasped. "Everything's wrong! Neru is our best friend and she didn't tell any of us that she was going out with someone! Wouldn't you tell each other about who you date?"

I looked at my ice cream cone. The ice cream was long gone. "No, I don't." I met Len's eyes, which were giving me a quizzical look. Len gave me a look that asked 'What are you gonna say now, pretty boy?'

In answer to Len's silent look, I started to eat my ice cream cone.

"What? Why not! Best friends tell each other about this kind of stuff. Are you embarrassed or something?"

"Uhhh... No... Not particularly..." I met Len's eyes again. I shot him a look that clearly said 'help me get out of this'. He shrugged.

I sighed and met Rin's eyes. "I... I date a lot. I've dated many girls. So there's no point in telling Len and the others about it. The girls I date are casual and neither of us are interested serious relationships."

Rin's expression was surprisingly neutral. Then it changed quickly into a look of disappointment and anger. "Are you telling me that you don't care? It seems like it. What if a girl really likes you? You wouldn't care, since you weren't serious to begin with."

I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by Rin's serious voice. "I can't change you no matter how hard I try. So I just wish you'd stop playing around with people and get serious." Coming from the most childish person I've met, it's hard to accept her request.

Len's mouth dropped at her sudden change of character. I agree that it was odd, but I tried to make sure my shock didn't show on my face.

In the blink of an eye, she snapped back to her childish character and with a giggle, she said, "For now, let's spy in Neru-chan."

Len and I looked at one another quizzically. The bubbly blonde's character changes faster than anyone's I've seen. One moment she's energetic, dumb, and childish. The next moment she's as serious and mature as Luka and Gakupo. Does this girl have PMS or does she have some sort of bipolar disorder?

I raised my eyebrows. Len shrugged in response.

"If you want to spy on her date, let's move to a table closer to them." I suggested. I don't really care for Neru's date, but I want to see Rin's reaction. Her eyes are wide and a mischievous grin was already pasted on her face.

"Good idea!" She agreed. Len picked a table closer to Neru. We can now see her date's face.

"Sakine Meito?" inquired Len. "I didn't know Akita-san went for jocks."

"Who is this guy? And doesn't Dell-kun like Neru? Don't they have a thing?" Rin whisper-shouted without her eyes straying from the date.

Len and I looked at each other. He shrugged again. Do they like each other? Dell's pretty much a jerk to everyone so I've never noticed. Then again, there was that whole breakfast incident. He's probably just playing her. He was probably just bored.

"I don't know. Dell doesn't show his affection for people often. And he doesn't tell us anything." I answered. When was the last time he told us anything? "But he can be toying with Akita-san. He plays with people when he gets bored. Warn Akita-san."

Rin gasped. "How horrible! Dell-kun doesn't deserve someone like Neru-chan!"

"But that's just his nature. We don't know. What if Dell actually likes Akita-san? Don't blame the guy and call him horrible. He can't help his nature," defended Len.

We concentrated our gaze on the couple. They were sitting in the sand and talking. We weren't close enough to hear what they were saying. Neru giggled when Meito placed a crab on her thigh. They talked more until he randomly picked her up bridal style and ran towards the water. She shrieked and laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Rin and Len's eyes were wider than ever. With a splash, we saw Neru being thrown into the water.

"Dang it. There goes my new bikini bottoms..." mumbled Rin with a pout.

We watched Neru come out of the water and splash Meito playfully. They engaged in a water fight.

"Neru hates water. I can't believe she didn't bite Meiko-kun's head off for dropping her in it." Rin continued.

She sighed and mumbled some more. "Meito-kun is hot... Neru's so lucky. I wonder who asked out whom..."

Len's face turned bright red at what Rin said. She didn't see him grit his teeth.

I laughed at his reaction."Guys, wanna leave the couple to their date and head back?"

"Yes!" Len quickly shot out of his seat.

Rin looked up, surprised at Len's quick answer. "What? Uhh... Okay?"

On our way back to our dorm, I tried to ease the awkward silence. "Rin did you do the worksheet for history class?"

"Huh? No." She seemed so out of it since Neru's date.

"Good!" The mood seriously needs brightening up. "Len. Help us with the history worksheet."

He opened his mouth in protest but saw me raise my eyebrows and cock my head to the glum blonde girl. He nodded. "Fine. Since you two seem too lazy to actually do it on your own."

* * *

**I really love the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii. I'm no good at it but I'm a huge Nintendo fan. Haters gonna hate.**

**Thank you for reading and please review-they make me update faster!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	17. Chapter 17: Megurine Luka 3

Chapter 17: Megurine Luka 3  
Monday, April 10, 8:12 am. Cafeteria.

Today, Neru, Miku, Len, and Kaito are elsewhere for breakfast. Rin, Gakupo, and Dell are sitting with me. As usual, I feel Gakupo staring at me during his meal. I adated to ignore it. As usual, Dell looks half asleep while drinking his coffee. As usual, Rin is stuffing her face while doing homework that's due later today.

I finished my breakfast. I'd normally engage in conversation, but I don't feel much up to it. So I took out a book and read. It's a beautiful story about forbidden love between an angel and a girl on earth. The angel changes herself into a male human so that they can love each other on earth.

"Luka." Rin called from my left.

I read only two pages and Rin starts a conversation. How expected. I sighed. "Yes Rin-chan?"

"Did you know that Neru went on a date yesterday? She never told me." Why would she say something like that with Dell right here? I can feel my brain faceplaming itself.

"Yes. I did know." I put my pink bookmark back in the book. Rin gave it to me for my birthday last year, along with a book and a purse. "And if she never told you, how did you know if she went out then?"

"She told you?" I don't know if the look on her face is mock betrayal or not. "She never told Miku and me! I found out because Len-kun, Kaito-kun, and I spied on half of her date."

"She told me the night before, when she made the plans. Why did you spy on her? What if she caught you?" This is a new level for Rin.

"I spied on her because I was curious on who she was with. When we got closer, we saw that it was Sakine Meito-kun. I didn't even know they knew each other!" When she mentioned his name, I quickly looked around the cafeteria to see if he was here.

"I don't know how they know each other exactly, but-" I was suddenly interrupted.

"Akita-san went on a date yesterday?" Dell asked with a frown.

Dell's actually spoken to me only a few times. "Yes."

"With Meito?" His eyes hardened.

"Yes."

He squinted over at Meito with disgust. "I don't like him."

Rin let out a laugh. She turned around and looked at Dell. "Are you saying that only because he went out with Neru-chan yesterday?"

Dell raised an eyebrow at Rin. She shot him her signature cheeky grin. "I'm not saying that just because they went out. He's a tool. No one likes someone as fake as him."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Dell-kun." Rin gathered her things and left with a giggle. "See ya!"

"Megurine-san, when did she make the plans? Like what time?" Dell asked.

"Uhhh. I'm not sure, around 11:30 at night?" I answered. I wonder why he wanted to know.

His frown deepened. "I see. Thanks." He took out his black phone and started typing. A text to Neru perhaps? He took his coffee and got up from his seat. I noticed that he hardly ever stays in one seat completely for meals and is always moving away right after he finishes eating.

I returned to my book. I'm a chapter away from finishing. I read fairly quickly, but I've been going through books a lot slower since school started. A few minutes later, I finished the book and put it back in my bag.

I got out a small makeup compact. I checked the mirror to see if there was anything on my face. I'm not vain or anything. I just took more time on my appearance today and don't want to look weird. I snapped the lid shut and looked up.

Gakupo already finished his breakfast and was working on some math problems. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was tapping his pencil against his chin.

He looked up and smiled. "Megurine-san, can you help me on this math problem?"

Gakupo, Len, and I are some of the few freshmen that are taking calculus. This school is similar to American schools. At schools there, each high school student has a different schedule, which means that they might be placed in different levels or certain classes. At Crypton, students are placed in different levels of math and world language classes depending on their level. Also, in American schools, art and elective courses are taken during school hours, not as clubs. So for math, world language, art and electives, and gym we move classrooms. Otherwise, we stay in the same classroom for our other classes.

I looked at his book and solved the problem. Math isn't my favorite class, but I manage.

"You are so knowledgeable, Megurine-san."

"Oh, stop. I'm no good." His compliments are quite flattering. I'd rather be complimented on brainpower and knowledge than anything else. Would I tell him that? No. Because he won't stop!

He smiled genuinely and continued. "You are also very modest."

"Kamui-kun..." My whisper trailed off. I smiled at him shyly then gathered my things. Homeroom is going to start soon.

* * *

"Luka, did you make a Cryptonization account?" asked Miku. We're at the lunch line, ready to buy our food.

Technology and I are not friends. I can only do basic things. Neru's talent with technology astounds me. "No. I forgot to. Neru told me too though. She helped further develop it, right?"

"Yeah. I mainly use it to chat with people. But there's this poll going on with the freshmen. It's a poll that ranks the seven hottest girls and guys. And on the first day of its upload, people already voted on it. But I don't think it's a reliable source because cute, pretty, and beautiful are all different from "hot", isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. Trust Miku to use the site for popularity reasons. "I agree. Girls like Rin are different from girls like Lily-san. But they're both physically attractive."

"Exactly! But I'm glad us four are on the list. I feel proud of my beautiful friends."

We got our lunches and headed towards the table. Rin, Len, and Gakupo were already there with their lunches. I took the seat next to Gakupo. Miku sat next to my left.

Miku looked around. "Where's Kaito?"

"Don't be so disappointed. He went to eat with Dell-kun," answered Rin with a smirk.

Miku pouted. "Who said I was disappointed?" she mumbled.

"As I was saying. There's going to be tryouts next week for sports and the play and concerts. And signups for clubs start after school today. Are you guys gonna try out for anything?"

I wrinkled my nose at the mention of sports. "What do you mean by concerts?"

"The school hosts a dance concert. Dance is an elective class but if you're good enough you can perform a piece or two at the dance concert without taking dance class. The school also has the welcome program next month. You can do anything from reciting poetry to stand-up comedy to playing in a band." Rin shoved fries into her mouth and chewed.

Miku's eyes glittered. "I want to audition. And what about the play? Is it a musical?"

"Audition for what?" Len asked.

"If the play is a musical, I'll audition for that too. I'm gonna audition for the dance concert and the welcome program." Miku's confidence when performing is enviable.

"Wow. Good luck, Hatsune-san," Gakupo said politely.

"So no clubs?" asked Rin.

Miku shook her head. "There aren't any clubs that spark my interest at the moment. What about you guys?"

"I think I'll join the art club. I like painting and drawing." I said. But my works aren't things people usually see. It's quite unique. I hope people approve of them. I hope I'm good enough. This school is full of such talented people.

"I want to join Otakus United." Rin giggled.

Len looked at her questioningly. "Are you serious?"

"Join with me!" Rin poked Len's arm. "It's not full of anime nerds; there are video game tweakers as well." She looked at his eyes with her large blue ones.

He perked up at the words "video game tweakers". "There aren't any other clubs... I guess I could join." He gave in.

"Kamui-kun, will you try out for or join anything?" I asked.

He answered, "I want to join the calligraphy club and kendo team."

"Oh! Good luck!" said Miku.

"Would it be alright if we come and support your auditions?" Gakupo asked Miku but turned to me. His periwinkle eyes were shining.

Miku nodded. "Of course! Please! I love an audience."

Gakupo eagerly looked at me to answer. I can't possibly say no when his eyes look as beautiful as they do now. "Sure. I love to support my friends. While we're at it, can we come to your kendo tryout?"

His eyes twinkled and he nodded.

"Yay!" Miku cheered as she hugged me.

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**I'm not joking when I say that my high school really has a club called "Otakus United". We also have a comic book club. Both are legit.**

**Thank you so much for reading, I'd love feedback and critiques~**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	18. Chapter 18: Honne Dell 3

Chapter 18: Honne Dell 3  
Monday, April 10, 1:52 pm. Tech and Digital Media class.

One of my favorite classes is Tech and Digital Media class. We only have this class twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. The teacher is really cool and fun. So far we just sat in front of computers all class to "get familiar" with the equipment. Neru used the time to update Cryptonization. I mainly went to sleep or spoke with Neru. The class overall is very relaxed.

Our teacher began to tell us our assignment. "For the next few weeks, you'll be working on an in-class project. You are to come up with a page on the school website on something that you find is important in Crypton Academy's impact on an average student's life. You may choose on partner. This will be displayed in the school newsletters and online. You will be given copies, and so will your parents and upcoming students in the next school year." The class started to chatter at the mention of partners. "But choose your partner wisely. It may be a group project but you'll be given individual grades." He passed out the rubrics and assignment sheets.

I couldn't care less about the project right now. My mind was on Neru the whole day.

When Luka and Rin told me that Neru went out with Meito yesterday, I was ridiculously mad. She didn't even tell me about him. About forty minutes after she made plans with him, I asked her for girl advice and confessed that she was my best friend. She told me that she trusted me and that I was her best friend too. What kind of best friend wouldn't tell if they like a guy or will date someone? It's true that she didn't even tell Rin and Miku, but I admitted to her something that I didn't even tell Len and the others. Like she said, I could have easily gotten advice from Kaito. But it was because I trusted her I told her.

I clenched my teeth. Screw intimate friendships.

After Rin and Luka told me about Neru's date, I texted Neru that I was going to ask IA out. There was no hesitance in her response.

Neru:  
'Good luck! Tell me how it goes later.'

As immature as it may seem, I didn't respond to her text. IA did say yes. We're going to watch a movie this Friday night. I can't wait. IA is a very sweet girl. I'm lucky that she said yes.

I already confronted Kaito and Len about their spying on Neru's date earlier today. They apologized for not telling me before. Apparently she seemed to have had a lot of fun on the date. I didn't even know mega-jocks like Meito were her type.

I was childishly avoiding her all day. I ate lunch with Kaito, IA, and some other people. I neither made eye contact with her nor speak to her. But there's no point in avoiding her forever. Confrontation is key. In fact she's sitting right next to me, glued to her phone.

I cleared my throat. "Akita-san."

She looked up. Her eyes never looked brighter. "Yes? This is the first time you've spoken to me all day, you know."

I looked away. "Sorry about that."

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?" She was genuinely asking. It's obvious Rin and Luka didn't tell her what they told me this morning.

I met her eyes again. "Ummm..." I looked down. "IA-san said yes. We made plans for this Friday."

Neru smiled. "That's great! I'm so happy for you!" Her attention went back to her phone.

Confronting her now is best. Our teacher likes us collaborating with one another. Talking is fine.

"Akita-san. I heard you went out on a date yesterday." I muttered loud enough for her to hear.

Her fingers froze over her phone. She slowly looked up. "Yeah. I did..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her stare is really intense. But so is mine.

"It's just one date. I didn't think it was such a major event so I didn't want to bother you by telling you. I don't know if we're even going out again."

"If we're such close friends, why didn't you tell me so when we texted on Saturday night? We tell each other everything." I felt genuinely hurt. I hope my voice doesn't betray me.

"I-I'm so sorry. I'll tell you everything. I don't even know why I didn't tell you." She looked down. Not at her phone, but her lap. "But in fairness, I only told Luka. And that was because she asked." I can practically hear her pout.

I gently cupped her chin and raised it up to face me. "Best friends should be able to tell each other anything Akita-san."

She smiled. "Call me Neru. When did you start calling me Akita-san again?"

I let go of her chin and turned back to my computer. "I don't even know, Neru-san." I said with a chuckle.

"So you're not serious about that Meito-san?"

Neru giggled. "No. He's a nice guy and all, but a lot of girls hate me for even being noticed by him. And I don't usually go for athletes."

Phew. I was hoping they weren't going to start dating regularly. "Good. Don't go near him again. He's not good enough for you."

She giggled again. "Thanks. But I'll be the judge of that."

"You're gonna date him again? I just told you not to!" My voice raised.

Neru lightly placed her hand on my upper arm. "I don't think so. But I'm just saying that I can see who's good and not good for myself."

I nodded. "Kay. Don't date unless I give you permission."

She frowned and shook her head. "No." she said simply.

I squinted at her. "Why the hell not? I'm trying to protect you from the jerks and losers."

She shrugged. "Whatever. But I like to get what I want. And what I want is to be able to date whoever I want whenever I want."

I smirked. Like hell I'm gonna allow that. Time for a different topic of discussion.

"Neru-san, what do you want our theme to be?" I decided to focus on the assignment.

"Hmm. It appears as if people are doing topics like education and boarding." she answered without looking up.

"How about friendships? Or relationships in general."

"Okay. That's an unexpected suggestion, coming from someone like you." She began typing away on her phone faster.

I raised an eyebrow. Someone like me? I didn't question her. I know what she means.

Since she works on her phone most of the time, she developed a habit of hooking up her phone to computers. Then she'd upload files from her phone to the computer and work there last. Any other person would think it's a hassle. But she claims it's easier.

I think it's time for a smoke break. I asked the teacher to use the restroom. There's a restroom for the janitors not far from the tech plaza. All the smokers go there to smoke. It's one of my favorite rooms on campus. No one else was inside when I got there. I lit a cigarette and took a drag. I watched the smoke as I exhaled. I took my phone out and went on the Cryptonization website. The homepage said that the latest update was on some poll. I've never seen any polls yet. I clicked on it.

When I read what the poll was about, I almost choked on cigarette smoke.

It was some poll that ranked the hottest male and female freshmen. Apparently, now poll has upgraded to have information on the people picked. I've never even seen the original. There were the top seven's names, pictures, and a description.

The girls' poll looked like this:

#1 Megurine Luka - Easily the most jaw-dropping beauty. Beautiful, mature, polite, and smart. The perfect package.  
#2 Hatsune Miku - Especially pretty. Her smile brightens the room and she's nice and well-liked. Everybody loves Miku!  
#3 Masuda Lily - No denying that she's hot, right? Confident and proud. So many guys love Masuda-san. So popular huh?  
#4 Akita Neru - Considerably pretty. Her scowl (or smirk) conceals a lot more than you think. Her laugh and smile is pretty. Please do so more often, Akita-san!  
#5 Akita Rin - Guaranteed to be the cutest girl you'll ever see. Big things come in small packages.  
#6 Aria IA - A quiet beauty. She is modest and kind. Her prettiness is shown in her personality as well. It's rumored that many boys asked her out. Is that true?  
#7 Kasane Teto - A very unique cuteness about her. Easily recognized with her trademark twin drills. Don't worry, they're not dangerous.

The boys' poll looked like this:

#1 Shion Kaito - The heartthrob of the class. Smooth, cool, and calm, that's Kaito. He's just so dreamy!  
#2 Kamui Gakupo - He's so handsome. Not to mention nice and smart. This gentleman is the epitome refinement and maturity.  
#3 Hatsune Mikuo - (Don't worry, no relation to Hatsune Miku) Mikuo is wonderfully hot. Too bad he's taken. Sorry ladies!  
#4 Honne Dell - Chicks dig bad boys. From your red eyes to your trademark smirk, we're hoping you're not a heartbreaker.  
#5 Kagamine Len - We all know he's a shota, right? (Just kidding Kagamine-san!) But he's cute, smart, and funny. Who can resist this face?  
#6 Sakine Meito - This star athlete is just plain hot. Must be from all that working out.  
#7 Kagene Rui - His striking amber eyes seem like they can pierce through your soul. But he's so shy. Let's be friends. We won't bite.

After reading these, the only thing I could do was let out a laugh. What a joke. Who's the one who started this? And these descriptions! They're hilarious! But it seems people are taking it seriously. I can't care less for being on this list. And I disagree with the polls a little, but that doesn't matter. I don't know if I should vote or not.

I clicked on the girls' poll. Oh, what the hell. No one will find out if I voted or not.

Personally, I think Luka's the hottest girl I've ever seen. But she's not my type. IA is definitely pretty and nice. She has a sort of innocence that draws people in. I looked at Neru's picture. How they managed to get a picture of her with a seductive pout is beyond me. Neru is pretty. So pretty. With her long hair and sharp, focused eyes...

Before I knew it, I betrayed IA and clicked on the button next to Neru's picture. No one will know of this. I erased my phone's history, threw away my cigarette butt, and left the bathroom.

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**I do NOT encourage smoking, especially if you're underage. Unlike Neru here, the smell of cigarette smoke is actually my least favorite scent. But when hot fictional characters smoke, I let it slide... (i.e. Shizuo from Durarara!-my favorite anime of all time)**

**I'm currently greatly disliking VY1 and VY2 for not having a character designs, because I love them (especially VY2) and wanted to include them here. The number one fan art for VY2 (the pink-haired one) is BEAUTIFUL. If you haven't seen it, check the link on my profile.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	19. Chapter 19: Kamui Gakupo 3

**I provide links to everything like song references and author's notes on my profile. Go check it out :)  
Here goes my brainfart chapter:**

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Chapter 19: Kamui Gakupo 3  
Tuesday, April 11, 6:40 pm. Cafeteria.

"Honne-kun, is something the matter?" I asked. This was the first dinner in a long time I have had dinner with Dell.

He looked more tired than usual. "Huh? What? Oh yeah. Uh-huh." I did not believe him.

I shook my head. "You do not look fine. Please maintain your health. You would not want to fall behind on schoolwork."

"Thanks man, but I'm just a little stressed." He looked down. "I'll take a smoke soon."

I sighed. "If you must." He took a bottle of water and got up and left. There is no way to stop him from smoking. As long as I do not have to breathe in the secondhand smoke, I am fine. He is doing a good job of not letting us breathe the toxic fumes so far.

Kaito turned his head towards me. "So Gakupo. When're you gonna get around dating Megurine-san?"

"E-e-excuse?" I heard myself stammer.

Kaito grinned. "People are already saying you guys are the 'it' couple."

"B-b-but..." I continued my stammering.

"Two of the smartest and best looking in the grade?" he continued. His smug grin widened with my stammering.

I frowned. "We are not dating, and we probably will not anytime soon. Megurine-san has made herself clear about that."

Kaito gave me a slap on the back. "Well better get to it. The upperclassmen have their eyes on her too."

"Excuse me?" I lost my appetite now.

"High school. Ain't it grand? Hormones and testosterone everywhere. Megurine-san may not seem to be up for anything like that, but other guys are." Kaito was not even looking my way anymore. It was like he was reciting a monologue.

He continued, "Go after Megurine-san. For Pete's sake, even Dell's gonna go out on a date this week. Get a move on!"

I looked over at Megurine-san two tables over. She was laughing with Miku, Rin, and Neru. Seeing her laugh made me smile a little.

I would like for her to have feelings for me. I want to protect her from our male classmates. But if the most I can be is her friend, I will accept that. Seeing her laugh like that is the greatest pleasure to me.

I tore my gaze from the girls and turned back to Kaito. "As long as Megurine-san smiles, I will too."

Suddenly a boy approached her table. His back was faced towards me so I could not identify him. Miku and Rin were looking at each other and giggling excitedly. Neru was on her phone and didn't bother to look up. The stranger seemed to be saying something to Luka. She blushed lightly and nodded. Then she got up from her seat and walked with him to an isolated table. His back was still turned but I have a view of Luka's beautiful face. She was blushing deeply. His hands were resting on the table. She reached across the table for his hands and held them. Her blush started to fade. She said something and shook her head. If only I could read lips! She let go of his hands and they stood up. She shyly shot an apologetic smile and waved goodbye. The boy just stood in place while she walked back to a smiling Miku, a giggling Rin, and a nonchalant Neru.

What just happened?

"Wow! Did you just see that? I'm pretty sure that upperclassman asked her out and she rejected him!" Kaito seemed like he was commentating a show.

Dumbfounded, I stared and couldn't produce any words to speak.

I thought that I was spending a lot of time together with Luka. Especially since we are our homeroom's representatives too. During our last meeting she neither said a word to me nor looked at me. I don't know why.

I swallowed. It is time to put my pride aside. "Shion-san, is there any way that you can help me get Megurine-san to like me in the way I like her?"

He turned to me with his dark eyes twinkling and a smile that rivaled the Cheshire Cat's. "Of course, my good man."

* * *

**Who knew I'd have this many readers? I'm so grateful! I'd love to thank each one of you personally. But for those of you who review as guests, I'll thank you here. So thank you toolazytologin, Lina, Amae-chan, vocagirl23, BaKaito, MikuMiku01, Cantarella, and Guest.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	20. Chapter 20: Akita Rin 3

**I write all my chapters up on my phone, which doesn't have a good spell check and has no grammar check. I actually uploaded a few chapters via mobile. So pardon my many mistakes. Please tell me when I do make errors though. Thank you!**

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Chapter 20: Akita Rin 3  
Tuesday, April 11, 8:51 pm. Dorm room 1925.

Luka's taking a shower in the bathroom and Neru's taking a shower downstairs. Because they're both away at the moment, Miku and I are taking the time to do what we do best: gossip. Neru always has information and dirt on everyone, but never says anything unless we ask. It's pretty wasteful of her skill if she doesn't decide to use her information. Luka doesn't like gossiping and she's not very good at it either.

We're sitting on Miku's bed, discussing what happened to Luka during dinner. The bed sheets are a light turquoise blue.

"I can't believe Yuuma-senpai asked her out like that!" I exclaimed.

Miku sighed, "She's so lucky to get all those guys' attention." She lay down on her stomach and propped her head on her hands.

"Ughhh. Yuuma-sempai is a senior! How is this possible! It's not fair." I pouted.

"Don't hate on Luka-chan. She doesn't ask for the attention." Miku attempted to calm me.

I sighed, "I know..." Dang! There goes Megurine Luka: the beautiful, kind, smart girl that everyone admires and is secretly jealous of. I know that it's not good to be jealous, especially of your friends, but I can't help it.

"Miku... I'm getting tired of being known as the beautiful girl's cute friend, or the talented girl's best friend, or Akita Neru's middle school sister." I let my back fall onto the bed so I can look at the ceiling.

"I wanna change. No one thinks of me as anything besides the "small, yellow girl". I think I live in you guys' shadows too much." I frowned.

Miku gasped. "How could you say that? You're our best friend! You're special and don't need to change! I love you just the way you are!" She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged my head. It's kinda uncomfortable, seeing that we're both lying down, one on her back and the other on her stomach.

I swallowed. "B-but I want boys to like me too."

She gasped again. "Are you sure? I'm sure plenty of boys like you! And who cares if you're single? I still love you!"

Easy for her to say, she's popular with everyone. I pouted again. "Okay. Maybe I'm overreacting to what happened to Luka-chan. Speaking of which, don't you think it's inevitable that she'll be with Gakupo-kun?"

Miku let out a giggle. "Everyone knows already. She's just being stubborn. But I can tell Kamui-kun isn't the type to give up. You can do it Kamui-kun!"

"Miku-chan, how's your love life going?" I asked. "There may be a certain blue-haired friend of ours that seems interested in you." I singsonged that last sentence.

I laughed at her blushing. "N-n-no! It's not like that! What do you mean! I can't even date anyone!"

I laughed some more. "A few weeks ago, you were the biggest flirt and were totally boy crazy."

"I realized that I need to put my career first!" squealed Miku.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you say." I giggled.

"Speaking of career, my manager sent me an invitation for an audition for a commercial. Should I accept it?" Her tone got very serious.

Miku gets invitations to loads of things, and I'm excited for her each time. Her manager is her mom and has been the only one since the beginning of Miku's career. "What's it for? When is it? Is it a TV commercial?"

"It's a TV commercial," she looked down at her nails and giggled, "for this brand of vegetable juice called Po Pi Po. The audition is in four weeks."

I tapped a rhythm with my fingers on her shoulder. "It's better than nothing. Imagine if you were chosen for the commercial! You'll be on TV!"

"I may need to be pulled out of classes. But I'll audition."

Luka came out of the bathroom. "What's up?" she asked.

"Miku-chan's gonna be on a TV commercial!" I grinned.

"No, no," Miku corrected, "I'm going to audition for a TV commercial."

Luka smiled. "Good luck. It must be so exciting. I hope you get it." She began drying and brushing her long pink hair.

"Thanks!" Miku got up to get her laptop and sat back down on the bed.

"What'cha doing?" I asked. She went onto the Internet and searched the Po Pi Po website.

"I need to be professional and learn about the company." She clicked and scrolled around the website.

She nodded. "Apparently this will be one of their first major ads. It's a local company so it's pretty small. They're getting more funding as their product becomes more popular."

"What do you have to do for the commercial?" asked Luka. She sat upright on her bed with a book.

"My mom said it's pretty standard, like a photo shoot and stuff. I may have to sing or dance, which is no problem."

I hugged Miku's waist. "You're gonna land the job, I just know it!"

She pet my head. "Thank you, Rin-chan."

Neru walked in the room with her fingers tapping on her phone's keyboard. "Hey guys. Did you know there's gonna be a school welcoming ceremony? It's a semiformal event for the freshman class. It's a sort of a school dance. It's coming up in less than a month. The school decided to have one last minute."

Luka answered, "Yes. As part of the homeroom representatives, I'm part of the planning committee. We had our meeting today. Our homeroom teachers will tell us about it tomorrow."

Trust Luka not to tell us vital information like that. "And you didn't tell us?" I asked.

"People are already asking around for dates to that," said Neru. "I didn't think it was so important that we'd need dates." She wrinkled her nose at her last sentence.

"Do you guys plan on going with anyone special?" Neru plopped on her bed without looking up from her phone.

Len's face instantly popped into my mind. "Of course!"

Miku tilted her head and asked, "Who?"

"Kagamine Len-chan! He's adorable. My little shota friend." I giggled.

Miku sighed with relief. "I thought you were gonna say Shion-kun. You two are awfully close..."

"Kaito-kun? Nah. We're just friends." Miku likes Kaito! Well then again, so does the majority of the female students.

Luka put away her book. "Great! Dates? What are these people playing at? Kamui-kun's surely going to ask me." She groaned and facepalmed herself.

Miku and I giggled.

"Is declining not an option?" Neru looked up from her phone at Luka.

She looked at her with narrowed eyes, answering her question: no.

"Guess not then." Miku giggled.

"Ooh! Tension between the homeroom reps?" I laughed. "No, not tension, but romance?"

Luka slammed a pillow into her face and screamed into it. "This is so unfair! I'm gonna go to sleep!"

Miku and I giggled again.

"Miku?" I whispered.

"What?" she answered.

I smiled. "I'm gonna ask Len-kun out to the welcoming ceremony."

Miku answered excitedly, "Oh my gosh! Good luck!"

I nodded as Neru turned off the lights. I went into my bed.

This will be the first time I ask someone out. I grinned to myself. There's a first for everything, right?

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**Please leave a review telling me whether you liked the chapter or not, suggestions, or on any criticisms!**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	21. Chapter 21: Shion Kaito 3

**I meant to update yesterday, but I was English hardsubbing a Vocaloid PV, "The Melancholy of Detective Yowane Haku". The link is on my profile. Please take a look at it~**

**I'm so excited for the upcoming chapters, it's not even funny.**

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Chapter 21: Shion Kaito 3  
Wednesday, April 12, 8:36 am. Homeroom 2.

Our teacher quieted her talkative class. "Attention class. I have an announcement to make. If you haven't heard already, the school will be hosting a welcoming ceremony for the freshman class this year." The class started to talk again.

She smiled good-naturedly. "Settle down, settle down. The school recently came up with this idea. So I apologize on their behalf for the sudden development. This is a semiformal event. We expect you to be on your best behavior. It'll be held four Fridays from now, on May fifth."

Our teacher looked around at the class. Some students raised their hands to ask questions and some called questions out. She ignored them. "You are required to attend. Think of it as a school dance. You must be in proper attire. It is exclusive to only freshmen. If you have any questions, please ask your homeroom reps. They probably know more than I do."

I looked to my left to look at Gakupo. His hands were crossed on his desk and he was sitting up straight. He always had the best posture.

"Hey Gakupo! Why didn't you tell me about this?" This dance is definitely the reason why more girls were checking me out and greeting me today. Not that I mind.

He smiled. "I wanted to surprise you. I didn't tell Kagamine-kun and Honne-kun either."

Rin turned around. "I knew! Neru told us last night. Luka confirmed it," she said with a laugh. As usual, she's totally bragging.

"That's okay, I love surprises," I lied through a smile.

"People are already asking others out to the dance. Are you going to?" she asked.

I looked around our class. There are plenty of lovely ladies in this class and in the other class. "I don't know who to ask..."

"Okay then," she singsonged. She turned around to face her desk.

I looked to my left again to see Gakupo bombarded by girls with loads of questions. I smirked and looked straight ahead, at the back of Rin's head.

"E-excuse me?" A soft voice called for my attention. "Shion-san?" I turned to my right to see a girl with coral-red hair.

I looked up to her eyes and gave her a charming smile. "Yes?"

"My name is Miki." The poor girl was blushing like mad! "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the welcoming ceremony with me?"

I gently took her hands and looked up again at her eyes. "I sincerely apologize, but I'm going to have to deny. I shall save a dance for you if I can." I said with a wink. I let go of her hands gently.

"O-okay! Thank you. See you later then." Blushing deeply, she quickly rushed back to her seat.

Rin turned around sharply. "What the heck was that? Who're you thinking of asking? And what was with the "save a dance if I can"? Why not just not have a date and dance with everyone while you're at it?" She pointed her thumb backwards to a group of giggling girls at the front of the class.

I gave her my most charming look. Most girls melt at the sight of this look. "If I have a date, then it wouldn't be fair for the other ladies. But if I didn't and danced with many ladies there, I'll just look like some sort of..." I trailed off.

"Manwhore." Rin finished. Unfortunately, she wasn't fazed by my charm. What's with her?

She wrinkled her nose. "Ughh! What does Miku see in you anway? Manwhore."

Manwhore? I am no such thing! I was so shaken up with the manwhore part that my brain didn't process the Miku part.

"Rin-san, how can I prove that I'm not what you call a "manwhore"? Because I'm sincerely offended." I asked.

She folded her arms. "Decline all invitations to the dance. No "I'll save you a dance" stuff."

"That's it?"

"Oh no. You have to ask my friend Hatsune Miku to the welcoming ceremony," she said with a grin.

"Rin-chan! Don't trick Miku!" Luka sharply scolded Rin.

"It's not tricking," defended Rin, "I'm getting her a date she'd like."

"Of course. I would love to be her date for the dance anyway. I won't tell her it was part of a deal."

Challenge accepted, Akita Rin. Miku already likes me, you've said so yourself.

"Shion-kun!" Luka scolded.

"I'm sorry, but I'm no manwhore." I shrugged.

She scoffed, "Making a deal to go out with someone sounds like manwhore-like behavior too me." She then turned to her desk.

Rin turned to her seat and took out her phone. She proceeded to make a series of text messages.

I leaned back in my seat with my arms crossed behind my head smugly. Len would have called me out for stealing the classic Honne Dell pose.

I don't plan on asking Miku to the welcoming ceremony anytime soon. Committing myself so soon to something as trivial as this is preposterous.

* * *

By end of the day, several more girls asked me out to the welcoming ceremony. Because of this, I was in a fantastic mood all day. Len wasn't pleased.

"And you denied every single one? You crushed a ton of girls' hopeful dreams," dramatized Len.

I looked around the setting. The lounge always has tons of people in it and as usual, Len and I nabbed the best seats: the red couch at the center of the room.

Where is Miku? She's usually here around this time. I'm not planning on asking her to the welcoming ceremony right now, but I've heard rumors that she's been asked by a couple of people already. I need to confirm that.

"There she is." Len gestured with his head towards the door.

Miku was walking in with Rin and a few other girls. They were chatting excitedly and giggling.

Len looked at me as if to say 'well, get a move on then'. I smiled.

We watched them settle down by the pool table, where some guys and a few girls were. To our horror, Miku, Rin, and the other girls started to flirt With the guys.

That wasn't supposed to happen. I frowned and looked at Len. He was gripping the armrest so hard that his knuckles were turning white. His face was red and his cheeks were puffed like an angry little boy. Actually, that's exactly what he is, And angry little boy. I looked to see what he was glaring at. It was Rin, Kasane Teto, and Kagene Rei. Rei was demonstrating how to play pool and Rin and Teto were just eating it up. Near them were Miku and that Hatsune Mikuo guy.

I scrutinized the sight and shook my head slightly in disapproval. Miku was sitting on the pool table and Mikuo was very close to her, leaning against it. Her hands were placed on the green felt to support her sitting position. His left hand however, was resting on her thigh-high sock-covered knee. No sir. Nuh-uh. Miku's knee will not be touched by that filthy Mikuo.

"Kaito, what's going on...?" Len whispered.

"I guess we'll confront them about it later," I said. What I wanted to say was something along the lines of 'Let's confront them now, I don't care if we seem desperate or pathetic or even ridiculous.'

"I don't know about that Kagene-san..." mumbled Len.

"Whatever, let's go to our room. Nothing more to do here anyway." I completely forgot about asking Miku to confirm whether she was asked out to the welcoming program.

On our way up to the dorm rooms, I caught a glimpse of Lily sitting on Meito's lap with her arms around his neck. People move fast lately.

* * *

**How did you find out about Vocaloids?  
I stumbled on a photo of Hatsune Miku online and wondered what anime she was from. LOL, nope. XD**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	22. Chapter 22: Akita Neru 3

Chapter 22: Akita Neru 3  
Monday, April 17, 4:23 pm. Crypton's Baseball field.

I squinted at my phone screen. I can hardly see anything out in this sunlight! With a sigh, I closed it and put it on my lap. I wiped the sweat off my brow and took off my flannel shirt to reveal a red tank top. Some people would call me slutty, but honestly, I don't care at this point. It's freakishly hot!

I heard a wolf whistle from the field. I winked and waved flirtatiously to Meito, the one who whistled.

Meito asked me to watch him try out for baseball during lunch. I couldn't care less and was about to decline his offer until Lily announced she was coming to cheer him on. That leech was following me around during my lunch with Dell. Unfortunately, he went to take a smoke break after he finished eating. That was when Meito came to ask.

I don't know what she's playing at, following me around and acting like my friend. It's obvious that she's just trying to get me jealous. Plan failed, Masuda Lily.

That familiar, annoying voice spoke from my right. "Neru-san, do you like sports?"

"No, Masuda-san," I said through clenched teeth.

"I told you so many times to call me Lily!" She giggled. "Why did you come to watch Meito-kun if you don't like sports?"

Because I had him first. You're just here because he asked me and not you. "Because I like Meito-kun, silly," I answered with a fake smile. Not a lie. He's a great guy and a great friend.

"Do you really?" she gasped.

"He's so fun and freespirited. Don't you just love that in guys?" I lied. I couldn't care less about what she likes in guys.

"Of course!" Her face faltered. "But I like him too."

Since she heard that Dell and IA went out, she gave up on him. Shame. It was interesting to see her fight for Dell's attention. Lily doesn't like Meito. She's just trying to compete with me.

Speaking of Dell and IA, apparently they had a great time and have been texting each other since then. Dell's been in a great mood since then, which makes me happy too, I think. Anyway, good for them.

"I heard you went out on a date with Meito-kun," Lily continued. She crossed her arms and looked at me accusingly. Since when was it a crime to go out on dates?

"Twice. I also had a study date with him last Thursday." Not a lie. He wanted help in chemistry. Like Luka, I can't deny academic help when someone asks.

She frowned. "Oh yeah. You're smart, aren't you?"

"I won't lie when I say that I'm pleased with my grades." I don't try so hard for my good grades. They're not as fantastic as Luka's, but I'm not as studious as her either.

Lily flipped her hair. She did so with an extra 'ummph' and attitude. She does everything with a bit more attitude. She has a certain aura that makes you look at her. She commands attention. And she knows it. I think it's actually pretty cool, but I find little reason to be jealous of her.

"Whatever. So you and Meito-kun are officially girlfriend and boyfriend, huh?" she sneered.

I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose. "Nuh-uh. Nope. We're not."

She squinted at me questioningly. "Do you want to be his girlfriend? You said you like him."

"I don't know. Maybe, if we develop stronger feelings for each other." I shrugged. He seems to like me. But Rin and Miku told me to watch out because he's a player.

"Are you going to the welcoming ceremony with him?" She's asking questions like it's an interrogation. To anyone else, this would be intimidating.

"I don't know. We didn't discuss it." I don't care. Lily sure likes to make a big deal out of things.

She smiled wickedly. "I'll have you know, I may just snatch him away. He's absolutely delicious-looking."

I'm bored with this already. "Okay."

She pouted and turned to face the field. I rolled my eyes. I took out my phone and tried to see the screen by putting it under my flannel shirt and shading it. I hate the sun. How is anyone supposed to use their phones in this blasted light?

* * *

"You did well. I hope you made it to the team." I told Meito with a smile.

Thank God the tryouts are over. They took way longer than necessary. Meito and I are walking to the dorm building together. Lily went to talk to her friends. Good. I thought she'd never leave.

We made it to the dorm building, but Meito stopped walking.

He pointed towards the bench in front of the building. "Neru-san, will you sit here with me for a second? I want to ask you something."

"Sure." I took a seat. The bench is nice and cool since the tree above it provided it shade from the blazing setting sun.

He took a seat next to me and rested his left arm over the bench behind me.

His twinkling eyes met mine. "I wanted to ask of you'd like to go to the welcoming ceremony with me." He smiled.

I closed my phone and ran my thumbs over its smooth surface. It's a habit that I've picked up. I do it when I don't want to say something.

"Ummm... I-" I began, but Meito cut me off.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Going stag is cool too. I guess..." He looked away uncomfortably.

I'm feel so guilty now! "Meito-kun. Yes. I'll go with you. I meant to say that I'll go with you." He looked back at me with his eyes shining.

"Yes." I repeated.

"Cool. Thanks." He grinned.

His arm fell from the bench and his hand fell next to my shoulder. His arm was now resting against the back of my neck and my shoulders. He turned towards me and leaned closer. I didn't flinch at his intimate actions nor did I welcome it. I just sat there, looking straight ahead.

I turned to look up at him. His face was very close to mine.

"Meito-" he cut me off by kissing me before I could tell him to keep his distance.

I was in shock. My eyes were wide open and his were closed. I didn't make any movement with my mouth. Yet I didn't resist him. Since I was sitting in an awkward position, I turned a little closer to him to get comfortable. But he thought that I was responding to his kiss and deepened it. He pulled me in closer with his left arm. His right hand went towards my waist and rested on my lower back.

I don't know what I was thinking, but I closed my eyes and kissed him back. I raised my left hand to rest on his right shoulder. I further deepened the kiss.

He ran his tongue over my lips to gain entry to my mouth. I shut my lips firm.

Suddenly I smelled a faint, familiar scent of cigarettes. I immediately pulled away from Meito. My eyes were wide and looked for the source of the smell. I saw the back of two people walking into the dorm building. One was short and blond with a little ponytail. The other had unmistakeable silvery hair.

Blushing madly, I grabbed my phone and ran after them. I completely forgot about Meito.

"Neru-san! What's wrong?" he called after me.

I turned around briefly to see him with a confused and disappointed look.

"I'm so sorry. It's urgent." I pushed the door open.

Dell and Len were nowhere to be found. Instead, I saw Kaito, Luka, and Gakupo.

"Where did Dell-kun and Len-san go?" I didn't ask. I demanded.

Luka pointed towards the restrooms. "Len-kun went to use the restroom and Honne-kun went up to their room."

"Shion-kun! What's your dorm room number?" I must look crazy, shouting so loudly. Who cares.

"Room number 13943. Why?" Kaito looked confused. So did Luka and Gakupo.

"Let me borrow your key."

"What?"

"I'm gonna pay your room a visit. I'll leave it in your room."

Kaito exchanged a confused look with Gakupo. "Huh?"

"Give me your key." People are slow lately.

"Uhhh... Fine." He took his key out of his pocket.

I snatched it from his hand. "Thanks!" I called as I headed towards the stairs.

Len came out of the restroom. "Akita-san! What's going on?" he asked angrily.

"Stay out of it, shota boy!" And with that, I ran up the stairs.

I made it to their room. I knocked three times. "Dell-kun! I know you're in here. Please open up."

There was no answer. I tried to open the door but it was knocked.

"Dell-kun!" I shouted and knocked on the door again.

No answer. Time for the key. I opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. I locked the door behind me.

"How did you get in?" Dell asked calmly. He didn't look my way and kept his gaze out the window. He was sitting by the windowsill, smoking a cigarette.

"I have Kaito's key." I placed it on a random desk and walked towards him.

"You saw, right?" You need to approach the issue head-on, no beating around the bush.

He exhaled the smoke outside the window. "Yeah."

"I can explain." I leaned against the nearest bed and faced him.

"Explain what?"

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

He smirked and turned to me. His red eyes looked bloodshot and dull.

He rolled his eyes. "Happy?" he asked.

I ignored his eye roll."No." I blushed. "But I need to say I'm sorry."

He threw his cigarette out the window. "For what? Don't be."

"Aren't you mad?"

He stood up. "And why would I be?"

I let my back fall on the bed behind me so I'd look up at the ceiling. I wouldn't have to look at his no longer-dull eyes anymore.

But he leaned over me. He supported himself by placing his hands on the bed, on either side my head. I'm trapped!

"Why would I be mad, Neru-san?" he cocked his head to the side. He looks so hot right now.

I felt myself go red. I stammered, "I-I... Y-you... Ummm..." I managed to look away from his intense gaze.

He smirked like the cocky bastard he is. My eyes narrowed. Damn his cockiness. And his hotness for that matter. I ignored my flushed face and made direct eye contact.

"You told me to stay away from him. So naturally I'd feel bad for kissing him. And I didn't think anyone would see..."

"You told me that you're going to date whoever you wanted. Meito is included in "whoever"."

"So you're okay with me kissing him?"

He didn't answer my question. "Do you really like him?"

No. I don't. "I don't know," I answered.

"Then why did you kiss him?"

"He kissed me first!" I defended myself.

"But you seemed to enjoy it. You kissed him back."

"I-i-it was in the heat of the moment! I don't know what I was thinking. No, I wasn't thinking!"

"So is he your boyfriend?"

I looked away again. "I don't know. We didn't discuss it. But we're going to the welcoming ceremony together."

Dell positioned his elbows and lower arms on the bed. He leaned his face close to mine. Our noses were less than an inch apart. My heart was beating faster than ever before. The scent of his cigarette on his breath was driving me mad. And the position we're in is quite suggestive. I cursed him mentally for being able to keep a cool face while I blushed like an embarrassed little school girl. Then again, I am an embarrassed little school girl.

"I hope he treats you well. You deserve it," he whispered.

He kissed the tip of my nose lightly.

I blushed brighter. "Dell-kun!" In resistance to the urge I had of kissing him, I put my hands on his chest and shoved him away from me. Hard.

He backed away from me quickly, licking his lips. "Sorry. That was out of line-"

"No! I'm…" I sat on the bed angrily. "Why'd you do that anyway? We're just friends! Jeez! Dell-kun!"

It was his turn to be mad. "I'm sorry! It was "in the heat of the moment"." He used his fingers and to quote me. "It's not like it was on the lips."

"Don't use my words against me." I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Forget it! It didn't mean anything anyway!" He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away from me.

Any kind of kiss means something in a girl's book. How insensitive! "Look at me when I talk to you!"

"And what?" he sneered, "Brat." He still didn't turn towards me.

"Brat? How dare you!" I stood up and marched over to him.

He still didn't turn. I reached up, grabbed his chin, and forced him to turn to me.

His eyes danced wickedly and he smirked. "What are we gonna do with you…?" He rested his hand over the one that was cupping his chin.

My eyes narrowed. I wasn't fazed at all. "Don't be a douchebag, Honne Dell."

* * *

**What was your first Vocaloid song?  
Mine was "World Is Mine". But I got into Vocaloids after listening to "Triple Baka". Rin and Len are my favorite Vocaloids. The songs that got me into the Kagamines were Len's "Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder" and "Adolescence". To this day, those songs hold a special place in my kokoro :3**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	23. Chapter 23: Kagamine Len 3

**I subbed "Hachi-hachi Flowery Battle of Kagamines". The other is Jin's publicly unreleased PV from the Kagerou project, "Transparent Answer". The links are on my profile.**

* * *

Chapter 23: Kagamine Len 3  
Monday, April 17, 5:46 pm. Lounge room.

"What do you mean you gave her your key?" I angrily asked Kaito. I'm mad at Kaito for him giving away his key to Neru and at her for calling me "shota boy".

He shrugged. "I don't know why, but she asked for my key so she can visit our room. So I gave it to her."

"Why d'you go and do that for? Didn't you see how pissed Dell looked?"

Kaito shrugged.

I sighed. Dell and I were on our way to the dorm so that I could use the restroom. On our way, we saw Neru making out with Meito outside. When we first saw them, he and I stared without knowing what to do. I was shocked and he was pissed beyond comprehension. The kissing couple didn't notice us. Dell turned around to go inside and I followed.

I stupidly needed to use the restroom so badly that I couldn't wait to go up to our room. So without a word, Dell went up to our room and I went to pee. If I was up with him, Neru wouldn't have gone up. Dell's not a patient person. Neither is Neru. She's probably fighting with him right now.

"What happened?" Luka asked. "You never told us."

"I don't know if it's in my place to tell you, but Dell and I..." I blushed. "We stumbled upon Akita-san and Sakine Meito making out outside."

Luka's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth to cover her gasp. Kaito and Gakupo's jaws dropped.

"She did that with-" Kaito began.

"Sakine-kun?" angrily demanded Luka. "She doesn't even like him! I can't believe she'd do something like that! How could she? The nerve!"

"I'm sorry Megurine-san." I didn't know Luka would get so upset over this. Maybe she's as protective of her friends as much as I am.

"But you've got to agree, Akita-san is very bold," said Kaito.

Luka glared Kaito. Gakupo have her an apologetic look. I decided to ignore them.

I attempted to calm Luka down. "Megurine-san, will you confront her about it later?"

"Of course," she answered, "we're going to have a nice little talk."

"Don't be too harsh on her please."

"Why not?"

"She's already fighting with Dell as we speak."

Kaito and Gakupo nodded silently in agreement. "Dell is very impatient and short-tempered. And Akita-san is the type that doesn't back down either." I explained.

Luka's face fell. "Neru does love to argue." She brought a hand to her mouth.

"I think it may be best if one of us checks up on them. I do not wish for Honne-san and Akita-san's friendship to be ruined over one incident. I have never seen Honne-san this friendly and open towards others," said Gakupo.

I agree with Gakupo. Dell has certainly changed the most out of us in our short time in high school.

The four of us looked at each other. None of us wanted to confront two of the most impatient people we knew.

"Not it!" Kaito suddenly cried out.

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

Luka and Gakupo quickly followed. I must have been suffering from some sort of delayed reaction problem. Now I have to check up on them.

"Ughhh. Fine. Since you guys are too chicken to do it." I sighed. Kaito, Luka, and Gakupo exchanged high fives.

I marched up the stairs like the trooper I am. When I reached our door, I put my ear to it and listened for loud, angry shouts. I heard nothing. How suspicious. I unlocked the door opened it quietly. There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke in the air. Damn that Dell! I told him to never smoke in the room. I peeked inside through the crack, afraid to see the battle.

Instead, I blushed when I saw them. Neru and Dell were on his bed. Neru was on her back, with her legs dangling off the bed, between Dell's legs. Dell was standing over her, with his face right above hers. He was supporting himself with his elbows and hands firmly on the bed on either side of her head. From here, it looks like he's leaning in for a kiss.

I quickly shut the door. What's going on? Shouldn't they be biting each other's heads off? This surely can't be the Honne Dell I know. The Dell I know would have refused to even look at Neru, nevertheless get in a position as intimate as that with her.

I made my way down to the lounge.

"So? Is our room destroyed? Are they will fighting? Who won? Are they okay? Why's your face red-are you blushing? You're blushing! Was the fight too intense?" Kaito blurted his questions loudly and quickly.

"Shut up. I'm not blushing!" Blushing is not manly at all, and I need all the man points I can get.

"So what happened?" My friends' faces looked so eager.

"I just peeked inside. They weren't fighting when I got up there. They weren't even talking. They were..." I didn't want to finish that sentence. It's too disturbing.

"What were they doing?" asked Gakupo.

"Uhhh..." I looked away. "So Dell smoked in the room. We're going to have to air it out again."

"Answer his question." I didn't know Luka was so assertive.

"They were on his bed-" I was cut off.

"WHAT?" The three of them cried out in unison. Their jaws dropped to the floor.

"No! It's not like that! Geesh! That'd make Akita-san some sort of whore, making out with Meito then Dell right after."

"Then what?" asked Kaito.

"They were just... Leaning on his bed."

"Still the same!" cried out Luka.

I need to communicate better. Words are not my forte at this point. "It wasn't like they were making out or anything! They were just... Doing nothing. And they weren't fully on the bed either. Like semi-on the bed? Neru was laying on her back and he was on top-" Luka gave me an expression mixed of shock and anger. "Don't look at me like that, Megurine-san!"

Luka rolled her eyes. Kaito chuckled. Gakupo looked away as if he was embarrassed.

"So no fighting?" asked Kaito.

I nodded. "Not from what I saw."

"So... Are we just gonna wait for them?"

Oh yeah. Dinner starts serving at six. It's best to eat early because the food is the best then.

"How about we just go ahead? I do not want things to seem awkward. They can join us later if they want." An excellent suggestion from our purple-haired friend.

"Well let's go." I was in a hurry to leave the building. It's been awkward.

* * *

The moment we entered the cafeteria, I was tackled down by something quick and yellow. It ran up to me with a hug with a loud squeal of "Len-chan!"

We fell to the ground-well I did anyway. The assaulter was on top of me so I broke her fall. My butt hurts.

"Rin-san?" The excited blonde smiled at me. She was crouched above me. Her knees were on the ground, next to my hips. Her hands were on the ground, supporting her upper body, with my head between them. Her face was above mine, grinning happily. Even her hair bow seemed excited; it seemed bouncier and more upright than usual.

I heard Kaito, Luka, and Gakupo roar with laughter and walk away. Help me! Rin's going to eat me! I blushed when I realized the position we were in.

Rin cocked her head to her side slightly. "Len-chan?" Since when did she call me "Len-chan"?

The small curtain of her hair was covering her face from everyone else's view but mine.

Her breath smelled like oranges. Like always. "Rin-san, why are you on top of me?"

"I wanted to ask you something, silly! She flicked the tip of my nose lightly with her finger.

"You couldn't ask me without tackling me down? I think you're causing a scene." Really, I hear people laughing.

Her face turned red and her eyes hardened to a glare. "I was waiting for like a week to ask!"

Uh-oh. Now I've gotten her mad. I'm scared.

"What is it?"

She pouted and stood up. Her feet were planted on the ground next to my legs. "Boo. You're being boring."

"Huh?" I sat up and looked up at her.

"Kagamine Len!" She pointed down at my face.

"Wanna be my date to the welcoming ceremony?" She didn't flinch when she heard the light laughter of our audience.

I blushed lightly and smiled. "Of course, Rin-san."

She stopped pouting and her face broke into a large grin. She stepped back and held out her hand to help me up.

I got up but she didn't let go of my hand. "Let's go eat now!" Her youthful energy is awesome.

She dragged me over to the table, with a proud smile on her face.

"That went well. I didn't know you planned on asking him like that. That's definitely the first time I've seen anyone be asked out like that." said Miku.

Rin nodded excitedly with pride.

Kaito slapped my back. "Atta boy, Len. You have a date before any of us, and you were probably the least likely to. Shota boy." Neru's insult from earlier today echoed in my head.

"Hey! I'm not a shota!" I smacked the back of Kaito's head.

The girls on the table giggled but Kaito and Gakupo just rolled their eyes.

Miku looked around. "Where's Neru?"

"And Dell-kun too." Rin added.

Kaito, Luka, Gakupo, and I looked away uncomfortably and started to mumble.

"They ummm..."

"Uhhh... Neru-chan and Honne-kun..."

"I am not sure..."

"Uhhh... They ummm... Hmmm..."

Rin and Miku have us questionable looks.

"I'll text her." Rin got out her lime green cellphone.

"No!" the four of us shouted.

"Huh? Why?"

Miku started to giggle. "Are they on a date? We all knew it was coming, ever since that breakfast incident."

The four of us looked at each other nervously. "Sure," we said in unison.

"Really, Len-chan?" Rin turned to me for confirmation. "I love it! Those two are a great pair!"

"Yeah, uh-huh..." Honne Dell! That bastard! What were they doing exactly?

"By the way, since when did you start calling me "Len-chan"?" I asked.

Rin giggled. She's so cute! I can just die. "Today. Do you not like it? Is it embarrassing or something?" She intertwined my arm with hers, then laced her fingers between mine. "I call everyone cute "chan"."

I blushed. "Call me whatever you want." I gave her hand a squeeze.

Miku and Luka exchanged "Kyaah!"s with each other.

"And just like that. The school's biggest shotacon and lolicon hook up. It's a cliché straight out of a manga!" Kaito said dramatically.

Everyone laughed but me. Apparently Rin doesn't mind being called a lolicon. But for a tentgraders male to be called shotacon is offensive!

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I'd love a review~**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	24. Chapter 24: Hatune Miku 3

Chapter 24: Hatsune Miku 3  
Tuesday, April 18, 4:17 pm. Concert hall.

Luka was acting really weird yesterday. Luka, Kaito, Gakupo, and Len were all acting strange during dinner. Afterwards, when we met up with Neru, Rin and I tried to question her about Dell. She didn't give away anything. I'm not sure why, but Luka completely ignored Neru. Rin and I have been trying to ask any of them what happened, but we're completely in the dark. That's not fair; we're the biggest gossips around!

I anxiously drummed my fingers on the seat's armrest. I shook my head to shake away any thoughts of worry and confusion.

In approximately two minutes, it will be my turn to audition for the dance concert. Gakupo and Luka promised to be here to cheer me on. I convinced Kaito to come see me today too. I perform a lot better knowing that I have supporters watching me.

Those auditioning are sitting in the second, third, and fourth rows. The first row is reserved for the people determining whether we make it or not. Spectators sit at the back. I squinted at the back in search of my friends.

I squinted and saw Luka's pink hair stand out in the darkness. She was next to Gakupo, who was next to Kaito.

I turned around and smiled. Knowing that they're here makes me happy. My dancing will be for them.

"Next, Hatsune Miku." The head dance instructor called my name.

I got up and confidently headed towards the stage. My pigtails swung back and forth as I walked. I put my iPod in the speakers given and picked the song I was going to dance to.

The bright orange-yellow light on the stage seemed reassuring. I smiled as the opening beats played and took my stance. My dance is a combination of modern and jazz. It's pretty unique and complex, if I do say so myself. I came up with the routine the day Rin told me about the dance concert.

I began to dance, punching each move better than I did during practices. My timing was perfect. My hair was twirling around me, just like it always did. I know that it looks like ribbon dancing. I use my twintails as an advantage to make me look more graceful. The exhilarating adrenaline was pumping in my veins. I made eye contact with the audience and made sure to look in my friends' direction. I hit the last move and the song ended. I breathed heavily and smiled. If that didn't get me into the dance concert, the auditions are rigged.

"Thank you for your impressive performance." The dance instructor smiled sincerely. "We'll have the results on the school bulletin as soon as possible."

"Thank you!" I bowed and smiled wide. I took my iPod and left the stage. I headed towards my friends' direction.

"Hey!" I whispered. I took the seat next to Kaito.

"Miku-san! That was amazing! Why aren't you taking dance class instead? You're a natural!" complimented Kaito.

I blushed. Good thing the theater was dark. It'd have been embarrassing for Kaito to see my blush. "Thank you. I hope I get into the dance concert."

"I'm positive that you did. Even some people in dance class aren't as good as you."

I smiled and blushed deeper. I'm too easily flattered.

Luka nodded. "I see that this is why they make everyone audition, even people in dance class."

"Yeah. Gives the few non-dance people a chance if they don't have guaranteed spots in the concert." I nodded.

"I am sorry but can we leave now? I have a lot of homework today and would like to study with Megurine-san today." Gakupo said.

I grinned. "Sure. Let's leave. No point in watching the rest." Luka and Gakupo are so cute! Why aren't they together? Gakupo clearly wants that. Ughhh. I wish my friends would all just have boyfriends already. I mean, it's totally obvious.

Luka, Gakupo, and Kaito got up. As I was getting up, I dropped my iPod. When I reached for it, I bumped my head into something.

"Ow." I looked up to see Kaito rubbing his head.

"Oops! Are you okay Shion-kun?"

"Here Miku-san." Kaito handed me my iPod. My fingertips brushed against his hand lightly. It sent shivers down my spine.

I murmured a thank you.

He smiled and nodded. His smile is so gorgeous.

"Wanna do our homework together today?" he asked.

"Uh-huh." I nodded. I can't help but be at a loss for words when I'm with him. I hope he doesn't think I'm some sort of ditz. It's not my fault!

* * *

**What's your favorite Voclaoid song series or songs that coincide with each other?  
I like so many. Story-wise: Story of Evil (my first series). Musically: Kagerou project and Riddle Solver.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	25. Chapter 25: Megurine Luka 4

**Behold. My favorite chapter that I've uploaded yet. Also, the first chapter to exceed 3,000 words.**

* * *

Chapter 25: Megurine Luka 4  
Friday, April 21, 7:24 pm. Crypton's beach.

Gakupo, Kaito, Len, and I have been doing an excellent job of averting the topic of Neru, Dell, and Meito all week. It was hard to look at Neru directly in the eye and fake that I haven't heard of what she did. Miku and Rin questioned her but she refused to say anything. I don't think Dell and the boys have to deal with this kind of problem. Boys aren't like girls anyway. They probably can't even remember it. I haven't seen Neru and Dell speak to each other. What could have happened?

"Do you want a marshmallow?" Rin held out a bag of jumbo sized marshmallows. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail using her trademark white bow.

I winced. Marshmallows are too sweet for my taste.

I shook my head. "No thanks. You know I don't like them."

"Suit yourself."

The eight of us are at the beach, roasting marshmallows over a small campfire. We're sitting on some (most likely man-placed) logs around it. I can't believe Crypton lets us do this. Fire hazard much?

Rin and Len shared one log, Miku and Neru on another, Kaito and Dell on another, and Gakupo and I shared one. Gakupo and I sat across from Miku and Neru. Kaito and Dell's log were on our right side, Rin and Len's on our left.

I took a long strand of pink hair off my hoodie. Since we are at the beach, Rin suggested that we go for a night swim. In this freezing water? I don't think so. But everyone else-aside from Neru and I thought it was a good idea. Now I'm stuck wearing my swimsuit under my hoodie and shorts. I feel a wedgie coming on. That Akita Rin!

"Achoo!" The strong, sugary smell of the marshmallows made me sneeze.

"Bless you. Are you catching a cold?" I looked up to my left and saw Gakupo's eyes filled with concern.

"No. The smell is unnaturally strong. I'm not used to strong smells."

Rin stood up. "I propose that we play a game," she smiled wickedly, "of Truth or Dare."

I froze. I've had to do many embarrassing things because of this game!

Miku clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! I love your dares! Let's begin!"

Neru sighed. "I'm afraid of what's gonna happen during this game, so I'm going to hack the school's security camera system and shut them off."

The boys and I gulped nervously.

The other agreed to play. I don't want to be a party pooper so I agreed too. I better not have to do anything terrible again.

"I'll start. Whoever's been challenged goes next. Failure to go through will result in admitting a secret or taking an article of clothing off. And no being lame and taking off shoes and socks. Seem fair enough?" Len said.

We all nodded.

"Kaito, truth or dare?"

Kaito smiled. "Your dares always suck. Dare."

"My dares do not suck. I dare you to do the chubby bunny right now."

Miku and Rin burst out laughing. Neru raised her phone to take pictures.

"Megurine-san? What is the chubby bunny?" whispered Gakupo.

I smiled. "Just watch."

"I never turn down a dare!" Kaito boasted.

He took a bag of marshmallows and put one in his mouth. "Chubby bunny."

He put another marshmallow in his mouth and repeated "chubby bunny". He did it again and again, marshmallow after another. Soon, it looked as if he was going to throw up. When he could no longer close his mouth, he spoke again.

"Chuh-ee vuh-ee."

His seven spectators roared with laughter. Neru took pictures quickly. Rin wiped tears from her eyes. Kaito then turned around and spat the marshmallows out. He kicked sand over it.

Kaito looked around. "Rin. Truth or dare?"

Rin kicked her legs back and forth excitedly. "Dare!"

"I dare you to give me your bottle of water."

"That's so lame! What the heck!" we protested.

Kaito ignored us and took her water and chugged it down. "Those marshmallows really made me thirsty."

Rin facepalmed. "What a waste of a dare." She looked around with a malicious glint in her eye. "Luka-chan!"

My eyes widened. Her truths are scary, just like her dares. So I picked, "Dare?"

"Excellent choice." She tapped her finger on her chin. "I dare you to sit on Gakupo-kun's lap for the entire game."

Why! I looked down so she couldn't see my flushed face and sat on Gakupo's lap.

"I'm so sorry." I told him. I didn't lean into him or anything, more like rested my butt lightly.

"I do not mind. Sit comfortably," he replied.

I blushed and sat properly.

"If you lose blood circulation in your thighs, I'm sorry."

"I will not."

Miku reminded me that it's my turn. "Luka-chan who're you gonna ask?"

Revenge on Rin! "Truth or dare, Kagamine-kun?"

"Dare." Excellent.

"I dare you to sit on Rin's lap for the rest of this game."

Rin and Len looked at me with shock.

"Failure to comply means removal of an article of clothing, or revealing a secret."

Len took his shirt off quickly. I frowned. Party pooper.

Len shivered. "Dang it's cold." Rin offered him her beach towel for warmth. "Hatsune-san. Tru-"

Miku cut him off. "Truth. Didn't I tell you guys to call me Miku?"

"Truth? Dang it." He looked around for inspiration. Rin whispered to him something.

Len nodded. "Miku, who do you like?"

She blushed and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. "I think it's self-explanatory already..."

Kaito smiled. "Please, do tell us."

She blushed some more. "No one!"

"Liar!" Rin, Neru, and I blurted.

Miku took her shirt off to reveal her bikini top. It was black with a white star on her left boob. Kaito couldn't wipe the grin off his face so he looked up at the sky. Pervert.

"At last, my turn!" Miku exchanged a nod with Rin. "Neru. Truth or dare?"

Neru didn't look up from her phone. "Truth."

Miku and Rin high fived each other. Uh-oh. Gakupo, Kaito, Len and I exchanged panicked looks. Miku!

"Neru, tell us everything that happened on Monday between you and Honne-kun."

Neru's fingers froze for a brief moment. "Dare."

"Neru, I dare you to tell us everything that happened on Monday between you and Honne-kun."

Neru looked at Dell. He shrugged.

"Are you going to turn this into a gossip section?" she asked coolly. "Nothing happened between us."

Rin called out, "Liar!"

Kaito spoke innocently, "What about the ki-"

"Kiss? What happened exactly?" Miku asked excitedly.

"Fine." Neru flipped her hair and didn't look away from her phone. "Don't make this a big deal. I got caught kissing Meito-kun by Dell-kun and Len-san. I confronted Dell about it and we're mature adolescents. We're over it. We're cool, aren't we, Dell-kun?" She looked at Dell and cocked her head to the side slightly. She opened her eyes wide innocently.

He looked down but nodded. This is their first bit of contact I've seen since Monday.

Neru narrowed her eyes at Kaito. "What did you mean by "kiss"? We didn't kiss."

Kaito looked at Gakupo, Len, and me for help. The three of us sent him a look that said 'you're on your own'.

"A blond birdie told me."

Len punched Kaito's arm.

Dell asked, "Len, were you spying on us? And we didn't kiss."

"I just saw you guys on the bed and from where I was it looked like you guys were kissing!" the shirtless blond defended himself.

"No sense of privacy..." Neru mumbled.

"On the BED?" Rin cried out. "Whoa-whoa-whoa. Back up. WHAT?"

"Nothing happened on the bed. In fact, we had a little spat. We argued. But like the mature teens we are, we're cool now," Neru calmly said.

Rin didn't seem satisfied with Neru's response. "But the bed!"

"Okay! Your turn!" I quickly said, before Rin and Miku decided to force more out of them. I hope they don't give Neru a hard time later.

"And this is for you Luka. Truth or dare, Len-san?" She put her phone away. This meant she's interested in the game. She can be as devious as Rin when she wants to.

Len groaned. "Why me twice? If I take my swim trunks off, I'll be stark naked!"

"Which do you choose?" Neru asked.

He looked like he was making the hardest decision of his life. "Dare."

"Sit on Rin-chan's lap for the rest of this game." Len remained seated. "Get to it, shota."

Upon hearing "shota", he angrily seated himself on Rin's lap. "Sorry Rin-san."

I gave Neru a wide smile. She responded with a nod.

Rin hugged him tightly from the back. "I'm probably stronger than you anyway."

Len's face turned red as we all laughed. "My turn again! Akita-san, you'll pay for this!"

She responded to the threat with a bored expression.

"Dell!" Len called for the silver-haired male's attention. "Truth or dare?" He looked like he was going to fall asleep.

Dell yawned. "Hmmm. You pick."

"I dare you to call IA-san right now and confess your love to her." Neru glared at Len, then Dell.

"Dell-kun!" Neru marched over to Dell and snatched his phone from his hands and snapped it shut. She put her hands on her hips. "Take your shirt off right now or tell a secret!"

We all laughed. Kaito asked, "Do you just want to see him shirtless?"

"What?" She realized what she said. "No! It's not like that, just... Dell-kun!"

We laughed at her outburst. Dell took his shirt off. Neru looked away.

"Neru-chan, you're missing the view," singsonged Miku.

Neru scowled at her and faced Dell. She gave him a quick once-over, then quickly sat back down to hide her blush from him.

"Honne-san, your turn." said Gakupo.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I forgot." He looked at around. "Who hasn't gone yet?"

"Me." Gakupo said.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Dude, you're boring. I don't have a truth. Guys, give him a truth."

Rin looked at the boy uncomfortably sitting on her lap. Then she looked at me. Uh-oh. I braced myself for what was to come.

"Describe Megurine Luka in five words."

An exasperated sigh escaped my lips.

"Beautiful, intelligent, captivating, talented, modest, kind, stunning, lovely, sincere, honest-" I cut Gakupo off.

"She only asked for five!" Everyone else laughed but me.

"I apologize."

I crossed my arms and looked down. "It's your turn."

"Shion-san, turth or dare. Which do you pick?"

"Dare." Kaito smiled a cocky smile. I have a feeling Gakupo's dares suck.

"I dare you to go skinny dipping." Gakupo pointed to the beach.

We roared with laughter as Kaito took his shirt and shoes off. Then he took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He took his swim trunks off under the towel.

Neru, Miku, Rin, and I shielded our eyes in case of a butt flash. We heard a splash and we opened our eyes.

The towel was floating on top of the water, a foot away from a shivering Kaito.

"Damn it's cold! Anyone care to join me?" He splashed around.

"Please come on out. You're gonna catch hypothermia." Miku threw his swim trunks into the water. He put it on underwater and came out.

"Who wants a hug?" He held his wet arms out. Miku threw her towel at him with a giggle.

"Well, I'm freezing." Kaito sat himself in front of the fire. "Megurine-san, what do you want? Truth? Dare?"

Why pick on me? I'm boring. "Dare please."

"I dare you to kiss Gakupo."

I looked down at what I was wearing. I refuse to take my clothes off when I'm sitting on Gakupo's lap. I don't think I have any secrets that no one else knows.

"Gakupo's the only one who knows this, and I've been keeping it to myself for a while." I bit my lower lip nervously. "I was offered several modeling contracts."

Miku gasped. "Why didn't you take the jobs! That's amaz-"

I ignored her question and cut her off mid-sentence. "Rin, I dare you to make out with Len for a full three minutes." Rin never chooses truth.

The shota and loli's jaws dropped. "Luka!" Rin exclaimed.

I shrugged. "All's fair in love and war."

"Len-chan..." Rin looked at poor Len. He was hunched over, looking down.

"Wait! I don't want my first real kiss to be for a dare. No fair. Len, get off real fast so I can take this off." Len got off of her legs and glared at me. His face was bright red.

She took her bright green hoodie off to reveal a white and rainbow striped bikini top. She looked up at Len. "Sit."

Len blushed again and sat on the edge of her legs, as far away from the rest of her body as possible. Rin apparently didn't like that because she hugged his chest and dragged him close to her. She held onto him as if he was a teddy bear.

"Dell-kun, truth or dare?" asked Rin.

"Dare."

"I dare you to ask Neru to the welcoming ceremony."

"But she already has a date," Dell calmly replied.

"Neru! You didn't tell us!" Rin cried out. "Why are you keeping all these secrets from us?"

Neru sighed. "Do you really want me to tell you everything that went down on Monday, including what happened with Meito?"

"Yes!" Rin, Miku, and I exclaimed.

With another exhale of breath, she told us.

"But I saw Masuda Lily and Meito-san getting pretty intimate last week," said Kaito.

"What?" Neru shot him a death glare.

He seemed immune to her glare. "Yeah, she was all over him last Wednesday."

She scowled. "Thanks. I'll be right back." She flipped her phone and started punching the keypads with her fingers. She stood up and walked off with her phone by her ear.

There was a moment of awkward silence until Dell broke it. "So what's my dare? A different one."

Rin tapped her finger on her chin in thought. Then she grinned widely. Her eyes with a glint of malice.

"Len-chan. Get off real quick." Len got off and she skipped over to Dell and whispered something in his ear.

Dell's eyes grew wide with panic. "Please, no. I beg of you. Anything else. Please!" he pleaded.

Rin shook her head with a wicked smile. She loves it when she has the power. "It's okay, I'll take the blame."

He shook his head. "No! Anything else! I'm gonna get killed!"

Rin smiled triumphantly and sat back down. Len sighed and sat on her lap.

"What is it?" Miku asked.

Rin brought a finger to her lips. "Shhh. You'll see."

Dell looked defeated as he sat, looking down at the sand.

Neru got back from her phone call. She looked irritated-more so than usual, I mean. "So what's up? Who's turn is it?"

Dell stood up in front of Neru and looked away from her face. We all leaned forward in anticipation for Rin's dare.

"Huh?" She looked up at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry." He said, still loping away.

In one swift motion, Honne Dell pantsed Akita Neru.

"KYAAAAAAAAAHH!" Neru screamed loudly.

A loud 'smack' sound rung and Dell was on his knees, gripping his left cheek.

The color of Neru's face rivaled that of a tomato. She pulled up her miniskirt over her bikini bottoms.

"How dare you!" She shouted at the poor silver-haired teen. She crossed her arms and sat back down.

Miku, Gakupo, Kaito, Len, and I sat at our seats, gaping at what just happened. It happened so fast too.

Rin smirked proudly. The little demon always comes up with the nastiest dares.

Dell sat close to Kaito, as far as away from Neru possible.

"I'm so sorry Neru-san... Rin-san dared me to..." He looked at the angry blonde timidly. She ignored him.

"I'm pretty good at this game, no?" Rin laughed. "By the way, why are you people still so formal when calling me? Call me just Rin."

"Okay, Rin. It's my turn. Truth or dare?" Dell asked angrily.

"Dare, baby!" I bet she thought nothing could top her dares.

"I dare you the same thing Megurine-san dared earlier." Dell said angrily. "Make out session with Len for three minutes."

"Get up Len-chan."

Len groaned. "How many times already?"

Rin took her pink skirt off. Her bikini bottoms matched her top, white with thin rainbow stripes. "Boy it's really chilly tonight. Sit, Len-chan."

Len looked thoroughly embarrassed as he had to sit on a bikini-clad Rin.

"Kaito-kun. Since you don't back down from dares, I dare you to go kick Dell-kun's ass. Literally. And kick it hard."

Dell shook his head. But Kaito already got up and kicked him.

"Ow! You little motherfucker!" Dell rubbed his backside.

Kaito ignored his friend. "Miku, truth or dare?"

She smiled. "Dare."

"I dare you to sing a song. Any song."

"Easy. I love an audience." She cleared her throat and began to sing "Last Night, Good Night".

So we pretty much just sat here, watching to her sing with her eyes closed. She has a great singing voice. After she ended, we gave her a round of applause. She smiled and bowed.

"Luka!" She pointed at me. "Truth or dare!"

"Truth." Dares are horrible!

"Don't lie, okay?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to go to the welcoming ceremony with Gakupo-kun? Don't lie!"

"I... We have to go together anyway! We're the homeroom reps. It's mandatory for us to go together."

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"I don't want to play anymore."

"Come on! Don't be such a party pooper."

I stood up. "It's late anyway. I'm going."

"No. Megurine-san, please?" Gakupo grabbed my wrist. "You do not have to answer. Hatsune-san, how about a different truth? Or maybe a dare?"

Miku shook her head disappointedly. I signed. "No. I'll stay. I'll answer that truth too. As long as you people don't get upset with my answer."

I stayed standing and answered. "No. I don't want to go to the welcoming program with you, or anyone. I don't want a date."

Gakupo nodded respectfully. But Miku and Rin shook their heads angrily.

"Take a seat." Miku tilted her head at Gakupo's direction.

With a sigh, I sat back on his lap.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please review. I'd really like criticisms, ideas, and your preferences. I take everything in to consideration.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	26. Chapter 26: Kagamine Len 4

Chapter 26: Kagamine Len 4  
Friday, April 21, 10:00 pm. Dorm room 13943.

We ended up staying at the beach until it was almost nine, which is when it's closed. Now the guys and I are just chilling in our room.

After more rounds of Truth or Dare, we were all thoroughly embarrassed. We all ended up down to our swimsuits, even Luka. Luka and I had to remain seated on Gakupo and Rin's laps for the rest of the game.

Some notable dares included Kaito having to slap a nearby senior's butt, which resulted in him running and hiding for ten minutes. Miku was dared to kiss Kaito on the lips but refused and settled for his cheek instead. Gakupo gave Luka a back and neck massage. Neru reluctantly gave Dell a lap dance. I've never seen him look so happy. She looked like she knew what she was doing-not like I was paying a lot of attention! Dell had to leave a series of embarrassing private calls to male faculty members claiming that he knew where their porn collection was. Rin had to run around the beach and scream at each person she saw that she was a time-traveling pixie and bark at them like a dog. She also had to leave many prank calls to various students and had to go skinny dipping. But like trooper she is, she went and did them with no complaints. Luka had to act like a cat and had to speak only English for the rest of the game. I was forced to spank Dell's butt. He punched me for that, but I wasn't about to turn down a dare from the dare master Rin.

Surprisingly, there were barely any secrets or truths revealed. We did find out that Neru helped Miku cheat on her grades in the seventh grade so she wouldn't get expelled for poor grades. Luka can play four instruments: electric and acoustic guitars, flute, and piano. Except she is stage-shy for each instrument other than the piano. Dell admitted that he's gotten drunk before. Kaito apologized to Luka for staring at her body on the first day of school, especially during gym class; Luka refused to look at Kaito for the rest of the night. I revealed that I liked to sing; Rin and Miku found that cute.

"I can't believe that Rin could carry you on her lap for the entire time. She's either a lot stronger than she looks or you're as light as a feather. Or both," Dell said, impressed by Rin's legs' strength.

"Shut up. That girl's inhuman. She's very strong," I said.

Dell plopped onto his bed. He rested his arms behind his head with a reminiscent look in his eyes and a faint smile playing on his lips. His eyes were glazed over in memory.

"I got my first lap dance from Akita Neru. And she was wearing just a bikini," he said. The scene was undoubtedly replaying in his mind over and over again.

What scum he is. I told him so. "And I'm gonna tell Neru-san about it too!"

No response. Just that dazed look into the distance.

"Megurine-san is so adorable! I wish I had a photo of her acting like a cat." Gakupo sighed. "Who knew her English was so fluent?"

The three of us ignored him. We learned it's best to ignore him when he's thinking about Luka. Egg him on and he'll talk for hours.

I looked over at Kaito, who was lying on his bed. "Dude, be nice to Rin. She was almost going to dare you to ask Miku to the welcoming ceremony. Speaking of, get a move on. I hear that Hatsune Mikuo's gonna ask her."

"Ummm. No," said Kaito indifferently, " just no."

I chuckled. "What do you mean? "No" to what? Being nice to Rin or getting a move on?"

"Hatsune Mikuo asking Miku to the welcoming ceremony. Just no." Kaito shook head. I love it when this guy gets jealous. It makes a nice change.

"Hey, I think I know what we need." Kaito said.

"What?"

"A mini-fridge in our room to store ice cream. I haven't had any since dinner, and that was ages ago."

I facepalmed. He loves two things the most in the world. Ice cream and girls. He'd think about frozen dairy treats over girls only when he doesn't like the topic. Ice cream is quite the distraction.

"I don't care, Kaito." But I do like banana milk. If we had a fridge, I could drink banana milk anytime I want. I thought more of Kaito's idea.

My banana milk fantasy was interrupted by Dell's voice. "I didn't know her hips could even shake like that..." Dell was still in his trance. "Len. Dude. I think I'm in love."

"What's with you guys? I didn't even know a bunch of girls could make you guys like this. Kaito's blinded by ice cream-more than usual, Gakupo drooling over Megurine-san, and now you." I pointed at Dell. "You think you're in love."

I marched over to him. "Snap out of it! I don't think she's so pleased with you. You guys were on bad terms this whole week, then you pantsed her, and then she had to give you a lap dance. Not to mention that she had to end whatever with Meito. Think of her humiliation!" He now wore a goofy grin. I took his cigarettes from his bed stand and shoved it to his face. "Go for a smoke and come to your senses."

I marched over to Gakupo, who was sitting at the desk. I looked over what he was doing. He was doodling purple and pink 'KG + ML', hearts, eggplants, and fish all over a sheet of paper. I kicked the office chair so that he'd spin towards my direction. The pen flew out of his hand and drew a harsh pink line across the paper.

I gripped his shoulders firmly. "Are you a man or a lovesick puppy? Either make efforts to change the way Megurine-san feels about you or stop drooling over her. Be a man!"

"Kaito!" The blue-haired idiot turned to watch me march over to him.

"What?" he sighed, "Gonna give me a crappy pep talk too?"

I ignored his question. "Ice cream. Tomorrow. My treat. And talk to Miku. Kay?" I walked over to the light switch. "Now let's get to sleep. I'm tired from the beach."

* * *

It's a rather gloomy day today. It looks as if it's going to rain soon. I want Kaito to hurry up and choose his ice cream so we can leave.

The guys and I felt really tired and on edge this morning. Neither of us have spoken to each other much, aside from Kaito and me. Gakupo left soon after getting up in the morning to practice kendo. Dell's been asleep all morning. I heard him stir around on his bed during the night and even heard him on his phone. Who's up that late at night?

Kaito and I are talking because he woke me up bright and early to buy ice cream. He woke me up at 6 o'clock and wouldn't let me go back to sleep. I'm a growing boy. You grow more during sleep and I need all the height I can get. The world is full of improbably tall people.

The only place that sells ice cream in the entire school other than the cafeteria opens at nine am. Since he refused to let me sleep in, we chilled out at the lounge for a while. We played some air hockey and pool to keep ourselves busy. We also watched our fellow early bird freshmen come down to the lounge. I kinda wanted Miku to come so I could force Kaito to ask Miku to the dance. It's two weeks away and Miku's pretty popular.

But alas, Miku (or Rin for that matter) didn't come down this early. Therefore, I watched Kaito get asked by a few more girls to the dance. I watched him smile charmingly while crushing their hopes. He later claimed there were "too many girls but too little Kaito".

"Len, which cone should I get?" asked Kaito.

I took a bite out of my banana. "I don't care."

"But you do! Ooh! How about I get it in a cup, but get gummy bears? No, fudge. How about nuts?"

I put my student I.D. card on the counter. That thing has money that could only be spent on Crypton Academy grounds. It's like a credit card that keeps getting money refills from our parents. I mentally thanked my parents for spending their money on me, and on Kaito in today's case.

"Three scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream with brownie chunks and fudge in a large cup please." Kaito finally decided on his ice cream. He certainly likes to take his sweet time.

I paid for the ice cream and threw away my banana peel. We opened the door to exit the shop, but were greeted by a downpour of rain.

"I think the school's gonna flood." I looked at Kaito. "How's that ice cream?"

"Heavenly. Speaking of heavenly, I think I see two angels." He was looking straight across, at the concert hall.

I squinted through the rain. I saw two girls standing outside the concert hall, under the roof. One had long teal twintails. The other had pink hair in a ponytail. There are no other pair of girls with hair like that. Miku and Luka must be stuck in the rain too. They suddenly went inside the building. Guess they're not. They came back outside with umbrellas. We're saved!

They opened the umbrellas and walked towards us. "Hey!" greeted Miku.

Luka nodded politely at Kaito. I guess she forgave his wandering eyes.

"Fancy seeing you here. Lovely weather, isn't it?" I asked.

"Just wonderful." Miku pointed to her sky blue umbrella. "Are you guys going anywhere or just gonna hang outside of this shop?"

"We were going to leave, but the rain took us by surprise."

"Where to then?" There really isn't anywhere to go in this weather.

I turned to look at Kaito. "Kaito? Where you gotta go?"

The monster finished his large ice cream already and was licking his spoon. "Dorm is fine."

"Sure. We were headed there anyway." said Luka.

Kaito and Miku shared an umbrella while I shared one with Luka. I now feel embarrassed for looking like a little kid next to her. Since she's taller, I guess she felt the need to hold the umbrella. Not only is she taller than me, she looks much older than her actual age whereas I look younger. Why me?

"So Megurine-san, why were you and Miku at the concert hall?" I started a conversation.

She answered, "Miku wanted to practice singing and I wanted to practice playing the piano. There's a beautiful piano in the concert hall. So she sang a few songs and I accompanied her. And we're friends, Kagamine-san. I don't think we should be so formal anymore."

"Of course, Luka-san. Call me Len. You play piano? How long have you been playing?"

"You can drop the "san"." She giggled. "I've been playing since I was five."

"So you've been playing for ten years, am I right?"

"Yes."

"You must be really good! Can I hear you play sometime?"

"Uhhh... Sure. Then can I hear you sing?"

I forgot that they know that I like to sing. I had to reveal that secret so I wouldn't have to give Rin her first hickey.

I nervously scratched the back of my head. "I'm more of a shower-singer, if you know what I mean..."

She giggled. "I was joking, but I'd still like to hear you sing. I know Miku and Rin want to."

The rain didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. We walked in silence for the rest of the walk. Once we got to the dorm building, we turned around to see Kaito and Miku. Except they weren't behind us.

"Where did they go?" asked Luka.

I grinned. "I told Kaito to talk to Miku about the welcoming ceremony."

"Thank God. I don't want her to go with Hatsune Mikuo. It seems weird since they look almost identical. The only similar ones that look cute together are you and Rin."

"We don't look that much alike..." And then I thought: the same hair and eye color, short in height, and youthful appearance. Oh my-nah, I don't see it.

"Are we going to stand here all day?" Luka pointed towards the door. "Let's go in."

"Thank you for your umbrella." I held the door open for her as she closed the umbrella.

She smiled. "You're welcome. Thank you for holding the door open. You know, you're so cute, just like a little kid." She pinched my cheeks lightly and headed in a different direction.

I frowned. My cheeks aren't that pinch-able, are they...?

* * *

**I think Len sucks at pep talks XD**

**I'm trying to juggle school, fanfiction, hardsubbing PVs, and watching anime all at the same time. Life is hard, life is hard. Just kidding.  
I subbed "Palette" and the Yuyoyuppe & Megurine Luka cover of "Tell Your World". Links to everything on my profile, as usual.**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	27. Chapter 27: Shion Kaito 4

**I'm trying to incorporate more songs into my chapters.**

* * *

Chapter 27: Shion Kaito 4  
Saturday, April 22, 11:08 am. Concert hall.

The concert hall is a very large building. I didn't take a good look the first time I came here, for Miku's dance concert audition. It has an extremely large stage. There are many seats and even seats on a second floor, and some on balconies. It reminds me of an opera house or something.

No one else is in the building; it's just Miku and me. We were walking to the dorms when I stopped and asked her to hang out with me today. She smiled with her eyes twinkling and led us back to the concert hall.

So we're currently lying on our backs next to each other on the middle of the stage, looking up at whatever all that stage equipment at the top is.

Miku broke the silence. "Shion-kun, I got into the dance concert."

"You did? Congratulations! I knew you could do it!" I really am happy for her. "Let's ignore the formalities, please. Call me Kaito. Just Kaito."

She giggled. "Okay Kaito. Thanks. Will you come watch the concert? It's months from now, but I want you to come."

"I'll come even if you don't want me to," I answered, "but then it'd be awkward. So I'm glad you want me to."

She giggled and lightly grazed my finger with hers.

"I heard you didn't audition for the school play. Why not?" I asked.

Miku answered, "Oh, I did. But no one came to watch." I turned to look at her. She was pouting.

"Why not?"

"I want the lead part. The female lead is most likely going to a senior."

"Why?"

She sighed. "Apparently the theater department favors upperclassmen that are actually in theater class, unlike me. You have to be really good to get the role."

"Then you must simply be really good."

"One does not simply be really good at auditions. The chances of me getting the role are very slim."

"Did you try your best?"

"Huh? Of course. I always give everything my all."

"Then there. That's it. You got the part. Trying your best is all that matters. Now tell me the synopsis of this play."

"It's about this man who is unloved. He makes a deal with the devil in exchange for the power to women love him. In the end, he realizes true love but it's too late."

"Fascinating. Is it a musical? I remember you have a particular liking for those."

"Yes I do, and yes it is."

We said nothing more after that and just looked up at the ceiling.

Then she said, "I want to tell you that I'm going to audition for a TV commercial soon."

"Wow! Really? You must be quite famous then. Am I talking to a superstar?"

"No, no. I was asked to audition. I wish I was a superstar. This TV commercial could help other companies and agencies find me for acting and modeling. But I actually want to be a singer."

"You're..." How do I finish this sentence? "Amazing."

"Huh?" She turned over on her stomach and propped herself on her elbows. Her elbows were very close, right above head."What do you mean?"

I crossed my arms behind my head and looked into her wide teal eyes. They were so full of question and hope.

"I think you're amazing because you're so determined. You're extremely talented and a lovely person. This leads me to think you're an amazing person, Miss Hatsune Miku."

She leaned down and kissed my forehead. She surprisingly didn't blush. "Thank you for your kind words."

I was so shocked that I couldn't speak for a moment. I sat up. Miku followed my suit.

"Miku, will you grant permission to someone less than amazing like me to be your date to the welcome program?"

She grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

She went on her knees, leaned forward, and hugged me. I was so surprised that I didn't move for a second. Then I hugged her back. She smells sweet, like candy. And I could smell a faint smell of something crisp and fresh, like green onion-no. Leeks.

She whispered into my ear softly, "And by the way. You're pretty amazing yourself, wooing a girl like me."

She let go and sat up normally. She looked into my eyes and began singing the song "Melt" softly.

I watched her close her eyes and sing. She sounds and looks lovely. I hope she lands that audition and meets her dreams. Because she deserves it.

When she finished. I smiled brilliantly. "You're so talented. You have such a sweet voice and heart. No wonder Mikuo flirts with you."

She giggled. "Are you jealous, Kaito?"

I grit my teeth. "Why would I be?"

She clasped her hands together happily. "You are jealous! And don't boys want what they can't have?"

"I already have you now." I leaned forward and put my hands on both sides of her waist. "The past doesn't matter."

Aware of my intimate actions, Miku peeled my hands off of her waist. "C'mon. Let's check out the instruments in the back."

She took my hand walked over to where all the instruments were stored. There were dozens of cases for various instruments, and a drum set half-covered by a sheet.

I pointed at the drum set. "I know how to play drums."

She looked up at me. "You do? I've always wanted to learn."

"I can teach you if you want. But here's the catch." She looked up at me in anticipation with large eyes. "I get to kiss you, right here and now."

"K-Kaito..." she mumbled. "I'm not ready for that, since... We're not even dating and all..." She looked down and fiddled with her fingers.

"But can you really resist...?" I whispered, cupping her chin and looking into her eyes.

"N-no..." she murmured. She stood on her tip toes and I leaned down.

Just as the space between our faces was about to disappear, she cried out, "No!" and pulled back from me.

I froze, looking at her with wide, confuse eyes. "I can't do this. My career comes before anything. That was the promise I made to my manager to attend Crypton. I can't dawdle with boys!"

"I'm so sorry, Kaito. Forgive me. I really do like you. More than friends. But my dream is the most important thing in my life, and I need to focus on that." Tears began to form in her eyes.

"I'm so sor-" I began to apologize.

"No! It's my fault. I've-I've got to go now. Call me later, kay? I'm sorry! Bye!"

I stayed frozen, watching her dainty figure grab her white jacket off the ground and hop off the stage. She left her umbrella and ran towards the door. She didn't look back when she left for the pouring rain.

I remained frozen. I couldn't believe what just happened. Miku...

I turned around to face the drum set. I sat on the stool behind the set and took the cover off of it. No one else was in the building, so I grabbed two drumsticks and beat the drums. The sound wasn't heavy enough for the song I was playing, but it didn't matter.

Playing the drums is a good stress reliever. Sometimes, you feel so bad that you just want to hit something. Drums are something that is acceptable to hit.

I repeated the same song, "Reon", when I finished. But I didn't notice that someone got on the stage. Someone began to sing the lyrics and I dropped one of the drumsticks in shock.

I looked up in surprise. The owner of the voice surprised me more.

"Megurine-san? What are you doing here?"

"Hi." She walked to where I was sitting. "Call me Luka please. I just ate lunch with Gakupo, Rin, and Len. They went off to do God-knows-what. Since I finished my homework, I decided to come and play the piano again, without a vocal accompaniment." She stopped walking several feet away and turned for the piano.

I picked up the fallen drumstick. "Oh. That's why you were here this morning, right?"

"Yes. Miku sang while I played." She sat on the piano bench.

I looked down upon hearing Miku's name so my bangs could cover my face.

She realized something was wrong and avoided the topic. "So... I didn't know you knew that song."

"It's more shocking that someone like you knew it. I don't expect you to like "Reon"."

"I like metal and rock music." How unexpected.

"I like your voice. It fits well with the song."

"Thanks, but I'm not the singer." I looked down again.

"Shion-kun... Is something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" She dragged the stool in front of the drum set and sat on it.

Talking about it to an outsider might help. That's why people see psychiatrists, right? I cleared my throat and looked up at her. She was waiting patiently with large eyes.

"Miku and I came here instead of going back to the dorms. Things were going well. Except I did something stupid. And she ran away."

"Oh... May I ask what it was?"

"I tried to kiss her, and almost did too."

Luka sighed and shook her head slightly. "You see, she likes you. Most of the female student body appears to be. But she made an agreement with her mother-who's her manager too-about boys."

"She's very boy crazy. In middle school, she was the queen of flirting and nabbing guys. As her popularity rose, her grades dropped. She strayed from her career too. Then she got into Crypton Academy. Her mother was skeptical of sending her here, away from her mother and surrounded hormone-crazed teens. Miku begged her mother. So they agreed that she gives up a social life for her career. It's career and school before friendships and relationships."

I was hit with a wave of information that I wished Miku told me before. "Ah..."

"So excuse her behavior. She really likes you, but she also really likes her career goal and loves her mother. She's not that great of a liar either."

"Thank you. I want to apologize to her."

"She's not one to hold her feelings in well. Let her come to you."

"Thanks Luka. Thank you so much!"

Luka smiled. "No problem. But it's common courtesy to help out a friend."

Upon hearing those words, I suddenly remembered Gakupo. I stood up and walked over to her. I sat myself down on the piano bench.

"Luka, how do you feel about Gakupo?"

Her cheeks blushed brightly and she didn't open her mouth.

"Okay. How do you feel about first impressions?"

"I feel that they're extremely important. Why?"

"What's your take on love at first sight? Do you believe that it exists?"

She hesitated before answering. "No. One can be infatuated with someone the moment he or she sees them and call it "love". But true love? No. Love at first sight does not exist."

"Kaito, I feel that it is sometimes easier to tell someone you're not close to certain things instead of to those you are close to," she said.

"I understand. Are you planning to tell me something?"

"I live a lie. I tell myself lies. But on the inside, I'm neither kind nor sympathetic. I'm emotionless but I act like I'm not. I can be distant at times because of it."

I nodded and let myself process this new information. "Have you ever been in love?"

"No. Have you?"

"Me neither." I answered honestly. "But I believe that love exists. Do you believe that love exists?"

"I've never been close with anyone who's truly loved someone romantically. I can believe it once I see it."

Gakupo is right in front of your eyes. He's living proof that true love at first sight exists.

"Kamui-kun isn't truly in love with me, is he? He just thinks he is."

I shook my head at the beautiful girl. "Luka. You're wrong." She looked surprised, but mildly curious. "What do you believe exemplifies true love?"

"I don't know. Frankly, love is something I don't truly understand. To learn as much as I can about it, I read and watch many romance novels and movies. It's the subject I'm most curious about."

"I think that you won't understand it unless you actually experience it."

Luka nodded.

"In those romance novels and movies, what do those that are completely in love do?"

"Two people in love or a one-sided love?" She seems like an expert already.

"One-sided."

"The person who is in love, let's name him or her A, usually only thinks about the person they love-let's name him or her B. A usually puts B before anything else, even himself. B doesn't love A, but A doesn't care and won't relinquish his love."

"What happens to B during this process? You know, in those romance novels?"

"It's redundant and trite," she rolled her eyes at the thought, "but usually B would eventually reciprocate those feelings by the end. B and A end up in love."

I nodded. "Excellent observation. Now, do you believe in fate?"

"Yes. Everything happens for a reason."

I nodded again. "You and Gakupo are in a romance novel. He is A and you are B. I'll let you know that you two are meant to be. You're going to fall in love, Megurine Luka. Whether you like it or not."

She let out an unamused laugh. "Don't joke. I'll never love. I know not of it."

"So will you reject his love? Or indulge him and string him along like you're doing now?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not stringing him along."

"Sure, if you say so. What about the rejection of his love?"

"I... He's in love with a lie. He's blinded by it."

I shook my head and got off the piano bench. "I'm sorry Luka. I'm sorry that it is you who is truly blind. I'm sorry for your inability to love. But I'll thank you for your honest answers."

She looked straight ahead, at the piano. "You're welcome," she said in monotone.

Megurine Luka is someone who's outer shell shows a compassionate person. She may be beautiful on the outside, but deep in the inside, she is incapable of love.

I left the beautiful, soulless girl alone with the piano.

* * *

**What's your favorite Miku song?  
****I have so many that I'm not going to bother say any.**

******Thank you for reading. Please review and tell me if you like the chapter or not!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	28. Chapter 28: Akita Neru 4

Chapter 28: Akita Neru 4  
Saturday, April 22, 6:24 pm. Gym.

Dell:  
'What's up?'

For once, I don't want to talk to him. Even if it's via text. I have important affairs to attend to. But he hasn't spoken to me all day, probably because of that embarrassing night yesterday.

Neru:  
'Nothing much. I just have some stuff to sort out.'

I'm at the gym, since I was told to meet someone here. I'm sitting at the top of the bleachers, leaning against the gym wall. I have a perfect view of the entrance, which is wide open.

Dell:  
'What stuff?'

I'm not going to tell him what this is really about, so I gave him a vague answer.

Neru:  
'Girl stuff.'

It's not a lie.

Dell:  
'Kay.'

Dell:  
'Look, I'm sorry about last night. I don't even know what went down anymore. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. I hate apologizing but we keep doing stupid stuff.'

My heart fluttered. I ignored it.

I looked around the gym to see if anyone would spy on my conversation. Hey, I'm paranoid. But I saw that no one else was here. Why would they? It's 6:30 pm.

Neru:  
'No matter what you do, and no matter what I do, I can never stay mad at you. I do think you're the bravest person I've met for apologizing to someone like me. That takes guts. I like you for it.'

Dell:  
'Baby doll, I can't get enough of your praises.'

Neru:  
'Sweetie pie, I know.'

Someone came in to the gym, which interrupted my thought for another cute but snarky text.

Neru:  
'Gotta go. Talk to you later, honey. Bye ;) '

Dell:  
'Sure thing, babe.'

I closed my phone tenderly with a small smile. I love it when he calls me "babe".

The person that came into the gym saw me and came up to where I was.

"Neru-san, how are you?" greeted Meito cheerfully.

I looked up at him blankly. "Fine, Sakine-kun. Thank you for asking. I trust you're doing well?"

He sat down close next to me. "Why so formal?" he asked, still smiling. We were sitting so close that our legs were bumping lightly.

I continued my formal speaking manner. "I'm glad you could come and talk with me at this time. It must have been inconvenient."

"Ummm yeah, what about?"

I sharply turned towards him. My eyes met his and turned into a fierce glare. He looked taken aback but didn't break the eye contact.

"How dare you make a move on Masuda Lily behind my back."

His face fell. "Huh? No? What? You're accusing me of what?"

How dare he play dumb! "Ten days ago, you were seen making out with Lily in the lounge."

Meito's eyes widened a little with realization. "No, she came on to me. I was sitting down and she literally came on top of me and started kissing me. I told her to stop but she kept doing it."

I ignored his explanation. "Five days after that, you kissed me."

"Believe me. Lily-san came on to me! I like you, Neru-san!"

"The sad thing is, I didn't know about this until last night."

"What? How? You've got to believe me!"

"I have friends, and they're not blind. And what if you're lying? I don't have time for liars." I got my phone out and opened it without looking.

"How do you not believe me?"

"You don't have that good of a reputation."

"Wha-! What do you mean? How'd you know?"

I waved my phone. "I have the contact information for at least two of your recent ex-girlfriends."

"Why'd you call them up?" He was shocked and angry.

"I didn't, until I heard about the Lily incident last night."

"Neru-san, it hurts me that you don't trust me. But I really like you and I hope you trust me."

I lied, "It hurts me too." I never trusted him to begin with. I didn't tell him how I felt about him. "But I don't want to antagonize you."

"Can we just push this aside and just have a fresh start?"

Fresh start, my ass.

But whatever, I'll indulge him. "If you wish. By the way, girls hold grudges."

His frowned.

I stood up and put a foot on the bleachers in front of me. "I assume we're still going to the welcoming ceremony together? After all, it is my offer to you as a second chance." I looked at him, who was still sitting down.

His face brightened. "Really? We are? Thanks, you won't regret the chance you've given me."

"You're welcome." I want to like Meito, I really do.

He stood up and hugged me. I returned it voluntarily. He took my hand.

"Wanna eat dinner with me?"

"Sure, why not?" I said. Then I mumbled, "You need all the brownie points you can get."

He squeezed my hand and we headed towards the cafeteria. When we arrived there, it was half-empty. Most students decide to go into town for dinner on weekends.

We got our food and sat at Meito's usual table. Apparently all of his friends went into town but he stuck around to speak with me. He insisted that he pay for the both of our meals. He's trying really hard!

I looked around for my friends. They weren't here, which means that they went off campus or they're eating at a campus cafe or something.

We ate and had light, friendly chatter. I realized something about Meito. He most likely likes me more than other girls because I can listen to him talk about himself. I normally don't say much out loud and am an excellent listener.

Miku once told me one of her rules when it came to boys: never eat a lot in front of them. Girls are meant to be feminine and polite, so eating like a guy in front of boys is not allowed. Therefore, I'm eating small quantities of light foods. I never was completely into eating anyway, definitely not as much as Rin. That girl eats like it's going out of style yet she stays thin.

We finished our dinner. "Neru-san, want to go for a walk?"

"Sure."

He took my hand. I rolled my eyes to myself. This is pretty cheesy. "Want to go up on the roof of the gym? We can watch stars."

"That's pretty romantic, dont'cha think?"

He chuckled. "That's the point."

We went up to the gym's roof anyway. There was a set of thin stairs that led up to it hidden inside the gym. There's a single, lone bench on the roof. I took a seat next to Meito's right.

"So I have this little sister. She's convinced that there are only six months in and that April isn't a month. So I told her to remember the rhyme 'April showers bring May flowers'."

I nodded and giggled flirtatiously, but I was only half-listening. I had my phone out and was looking back and forth from his face and my phone. I'd look at my phone the whole time, but his face is so eager. Not to mention good-looking.

"Then she was like, "wasn't the rhyme 'April showers bring ME flowers'?" And I still don't know what an April is!" He laughed. I laughed along with him.

"What a blonde moment, right?"

I looked at him quizzically. "I'm blonde."

He blushed lightly with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

I smiled goodnaturedly, but I knew my eyes looked devious. "I know."

He was still stammering an apology.

"That's a stereotype. Blondes are neither stupider nor have any more fun than other people." Actually, maybe not Rin.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay." I turned to look up at him. I leaned a bit closer to him. "I like ignorant people," I smiled sweetly, "because they're the ones who look up to educated individuals."

He looked confused. "Huh?"

I frowned a little. "You're just really cute," I flatly said.

He grinned. "Thanks."

I decided to test out one of Miku's flirting tricks. I rested my head on his upper arm. My phone fell between our legs. I took his left hand with my right hand. I began to trace circles on his left wrist.

"Neru-san?" I looked up at him innocently. He was grinning arrogantly.

I'm not sure why I'm intimate with him. My body just moves on its own. It needs to stop.

He cupped my chin and leaned his head down. I can feel his breath on my lips. "Have I ever told you that you're a great kisser?" he whispered.

"No, but I'll say that you're quite skilled as well. Definitely above those mediocre kissers," I whispered back and closed my eyes lightly.

I can feel him smiling. We kissed gently for about two seconds until my phone started vibrating like crazy. We withdrew from the kiss and I checked who it was.

Honne Dell is the greatest cockblock in the world. This is the second time already. But for some reason, I'm not upset for his intrusion.

"I'm gonna answer this." I waved my vibrating phone. "It's an emergency."

I escaped from the tangle of our arms and stood up. When I was within earshot from Meito, I whispered into my phone.

"What! You know I text more than call," I hissed.

Dell's rough voice answered, "It's an emergency."

"What? Are you whining? You're whining."

"Shut up. I'm not."

"So what?" I really haven't got all day.

"IA and I broke up."

"..." My jaw dropped in shock. "You're joking."

"No. Our relationship was going nowhere. The feeling was mutual. It ended nicely, so it's cool."

I'm so glad he can't see the large smile plastered on my face. "That's good? I kinda want to talk to you in person now."

"Why don't you? We can hang out in the lounge or someplace quiet. And the others are gone. You can come over if you like."

"Are you in your room? Don't tell me you broke up with her over phone!"

"Of course not. I walked her over to her dorm and we cut it off in front of her place."

"Okay. I'll be there now." I hung up before he could say anything else.

I was about to leave the roof when I heard someone clearing his throat. Whoops. Forgot about Meito.

"You're going?" He looked at me disappointedly.

"It's an emergency!" I reasoned, "Please."

"Okay-" I quickly ran over to him, pecked him on the cheek, and ran off to the exit.

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, I found myself knocking on Dell's door. "Dell? Open up. It's me, Neru."

He opened the door. "Thanks for coming." He probably invited me over because he feels alone.

I stepped in the spacious room. He took a seat on the end of the couch. It was across a wall, where the large TV was hanging on it. On the floor beneath it was what seemed like one of every video game console made.

"So many video games…" I said.

"Len," he answered blankly.

I lay across the couch on my stomach. My elbows were up and my chin was propped on my hands. My feet were hanging off the couch, and I was kicking them lightly. If I put my face down without my hands supporting them, it would fall directly on Dell's thigh.

Dell looked down at me with an eyebrow raised. "Don't you look comfy."

"Why yes I am." I smiled. "So what's up?"

"Just a few things on my mind."

"And you smoked to clear the thoughts away."

"Yeah. You can still smell it on me?"

I buried my face against his stomach. I inhaled through my nose. His shirt really reeked of cigarettes. "Mmm."

"So IA," I said. I love his smirk.

"Uhh yeah. At first I felt this natural attraction towards her. It was this mental attraction, I think."

I nodded.

"But I realize that we just don't connect, you know?"

"Uh-huh."

"I believed that she felt this way too. And I didn't want to continue this sort of relationship."

I put my left arm on top of his jean-clad thigh and rested my head on it. "Don't mind me."

He ignored me. "So I confronted her about it after our date this evening."

"What'd you do on your date?"

"We watched a movie in the school theater and had ice cream."

"Cute. Go on."

"So afterwards, I told her how I really felt. She told me that she was glad that I felt this way because she felt this way too. She said that she believed that we're mentally in tune. But in order for a relationship, or even beyond that-love, the two lovers must be mentally and physically attracted to each other."

"Ooh. She's smart. I like how she thinks. No wonder you guys are mentally attracted to each other."

"Then I told her that I think friends are more mentally attracted to each other than lovers. And that'd we be better off as friends. She agreed and that's pretty much it."

"I see. You've dated for thirteen days, nearly two weeks. Can I ask you something? If you don't want to, you don't have to answer."

"Go for it."

I turned so that my back was on the couch and that my head was resting on his thigh. He looked down at my face. I looked up at his red eyes.

"Did you and IA-san kiss?"

He shook his head. "Nope." He smirked again. "I don't move nearly as fast as you did with Meito."

My eyebrows furrowed and I scowled. "He kissed me first! I told you before."

"Sure." Dell sneered. "So are you still dating that guy?"

"Yeah." I twirled a strand of my hair with my forefinger.

His face showed his disapproval. "Even after he made out with Masuda Lily?"

"Yeah."

He frowned. "What do you see in him anyway?"

"I think he's my test subject."

"Huh?"

"I'm really attracted to him physically. Like, hormones are everywhere. He thinks that I like him and he likes me. But I know that my feelings towards him are strictly platonic."

"Don't torture the guy. Cut him loose."

I pouted. "You might not want to hear this, but earlier we briefly kissed again."

Dell shook his head with disapproval. His bangs fell to his eyes. He looked, to borrow Lily's words, "absolutely delicious-looking". I took his left hand and began playing with it. If I can't have my phone in my hands, I need to find another toy to entertain me with.

"The issue I want to address is that you sir, do an excellent job of being the person responsible for the ending of our kisses."

He smirked. "What do you mean? How many times did you two kiss anyway?"

"Two times. And what I mean is that the first time Meito-kun and I kissed, I stopped kissing him to run after you. This time, we kissed for like, two seconds but we were interrupted by your phone call to me."

He laughed. "That's awesome."

"Not awesome." My lips tightened. "You're the biggest cockblock ever."

"If you don't even like him, why are you upset about not being able to properly kiss him?"

I froze. Because I'm a hormone-crazed teen that can't control herself around attractive teens of the opposite gender. No. Fuck that.

I went with a different answer. "I don't know."

"You kinda remind me of those sexually frustrated people."

"What? No!" I squeezed his hand a bit too hard.

"Ow!" He retracted his hand away from mine.

I put my hands together on my décolletage. "Oops. Sorry!"

He casually said. "Well on with the sexually frustrated person idea."

He shook his hand then rested it on my hands. Does he have any idea how close his hands are to my boobs? But I pretended I didn't notice.

"You know those horny people that just want to get laid-"

"No! I'm neither horny nor a slut!"

"I wasn't saying that you are!"

"Hmmph." I pouted.

"You just need to get laid."

"Excuse me?" I angrily said through my teeth.

"I'm not telling you to go screw someone, I'm telling you to get rid of your hormonal needs. Go have a make out session," he advised.

"I'm a whore, I'm a whore, I'm a whore!" I whined. I turned and buried my face in his shirt.

"It doesn't sound whore-like if you're technically dating the guy."

"Wrong! It's prostitution. I'm using him to fulfill my horrible needs! I'm a prostitute!"

Dell began to stroke my arm. "It's okay, babe. No one will even know that."

"I'm a selfish bitch."

"You're not. Just sexually frustrated."

"I admit I like "sexually frustrated" better than "horny"."

He smirked. "So are you going to dump him after you rid your needs?"

"I don't want to string him along. Besides, I don't think he likes me anyway. He's a playboy and he's not even a virgin anymore."

"How'd you know?" he asked angrily.

"I know everything, remember?" I waved my phone in front of his face.

"He's not after you for anything else but your body."

"Isn't that why I'm with him?" I'm a prostitute. If Rin and the others find out, they'll never look at me the same.

"I don't want to see you get hurt. That is all," he whispered.

I blurted, "You're really my best friend."

"And as your best friend, I need to say sorry in person."

"For what?"

"Last night."

My face began to blush brightly. My eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you brought that up. I just forgot about it!"

"I just remembered! But I need to say sorry." He frowned a little. I forgot. He hates apologizing as much as I do.

"Apology accepted. That doesn't mean that wasn't the most embarrassing night of my life, because it was."

He nodded. "Oh, since we're friends, we can ask each other anything, right?"

"Yes."

"So don't hit me for asking," he swallowed nervously, "but where'd you learn to dance like that?"

"NOWHERE, HONNE DELL." I punched his stomach as hard as I could while lying down, which wasn't very hard.

He didn't move. "Ummm. Ow."

How could I forget his killer abs? "I hate you, Honne Dell."

"Don't say that, you liar." He smirked. "You love me."

"Whatever."

My phone's inbox suddenly became bombarded with text messages. All of them read something similar: 'Congratulations on your relationship!' 'You and Meito-kun are so cute!' 'I can't believe you're Meito-kun's girlfriend!'

My eyes widened at the texts. "My God..." I uttered.

"What's wrong?" Dell's eyes were full of concern.

I sat up next to him. We were sitting extremely close, so close that I simply decided to lean on to him. "I-I... Err... You'll know sooner or later. But I want for you to hear it from me."

He looked concerned. "What?" He's so adorable.

I opened a random text and held my phone up to his face. I shut my eyes in fear of his response.

He took my phone from my hand. I swallowed nervously. I haven't had anyone touch my phone in ages. I feel naked.

"Neru-san... You're officially his girlfriend?" He noticed how nervous I was without my phone and gave it back.

"Apparently..." I began to twirl a lock of hair. "I didn't know of it either."

"Are you mad?"

"Are you?"

"Kind of."

"Same."

"Damn that guy."

"Yeah. It's okay. Even if he's really popular, gossip dies down. People forget easily."

"Ask Meito if he knows about this."

"Should I now? You can read the texts with me." I don't ask intimate questions like this often. Not many people can see the contents of my phone, not even Rin.

I think Dell understood how opening my phone up to him was so important. He nodded with a shy smile on his lips and his eyes twinkling.

Neru:  
'Since when did the whole school know that you and I are boyfriend and girlfriend? And since when did any of us agree to be in a relationship like this?'

Meito replied a few minutes later. In the meantime, Dell and I read more of my texts with disgust.

Meito:  
'Sorry. I mentioned that we're seeing each other to someone and the rumor blew up.'

"I doubt it," grumbled Dell.

I raised my finger to my lips. "Hush, hush."

Neru:  
'You're not my boyfriend. We're in a casual, open relationship.'

Dell smirked.

Meito:  
'Of course, of course.'

"By the way, you're still going to the dance with him, right?" asked Dell.

"Ummm..." I mumbled a yes.

"Watch out for him."

"Watch out for Lily. You're a bachelor again."

Meito:  
'But why can't we be in a relationship?'

Dell frowned. "Clingy bastard."

"Chill. The guy just likes me a lot. I mean, who wouldn't?" I clicked my tongue and smirked like the cocky teen I am.

"You're not that cute." Dell smirked.

"Shut up. I'm cute. You've even acknowledged it before." I poked his thigh with a finger.

He pointed to my phone. "May I?"

I paused for a moment before I gave my baby-I mean, phone to him. "Show it to me before you send the text."

He started to type. He's pretty fast, but not as quick as me. Then again, I'm fast enough to enter texting competitions, if I knew of any. He showed me the message:  
'Because I only like you in a strictly platonic way and I'm already in love with someone else.'

I snatched my phone out of his hands. "What's with the last part?"

"You love me."

I shoved him. "What the hell? Honne Dell, I will never love an arrogant bastard like you." I looked away from him so he wouldn't see my blush.

"Sure. Whatever." I can hear his smirk. I don't even need to see his face.

He's my best friend. Of course I love him. Will I say that out loud? No.

* * *

**Please leave a review. You may scold me for my late chapters.**

**I subbed Junky's "Evening Fireworks" sung by Kagamine Rin. Check out the link on my profile. I really love the song and the PV. It's cute :3**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	29. Chapter 29: Honne Dell 4

Chapter 29: Honne Dell 4  
Sunday, April 23, 2:48 pm. Behind the gym.

I was hidden behind the gym where there were no cameras. I lit a cigarette and raised it to my lips. I exhaled and saw the smoke in front of my face.

I heard someone walk towards me. "'Sup," Meito greeted.

I nodded and took another drag from my cigarette.

"So I know you're protective of Neru-san and all, but we're together now," He said with a frown.

"I thought she made it clear that you guys are in an open relationship and not officially girlfriend and boyfriend." I can still manage to speak clearly with a cigarette in my mouth.

"Yeah, but we're still technically in a relationship."

"You're the one who spread the rumors about you and Neru being an official couple, right?"

"Ummm... I needed to make sure she wouldn't stray away from me and I know she'd have to save face."

How dare he! "Just go see other girls already."

"I like Neru-san. As much as you like her."

I froze. "I don't like Neru in the way you're talking about. She's just a really good friend of mine."

"Kay then. Are you sure you're not telling me to see other girls because you're jealous?"

"No!" I don't want to like Neru in that way! It's like, sinful.

My eyebrows furrowed. I warned, "Look. Dude, just stay away from Neru. She doesn't like you as nearly as much as you like her."

He frowned. "How can you say that?"

I shrugged. "I say it 'cause it's true."

"This doesn't matter. We're going to the welcoming ceremony together and I'll make her mine. She'll beg me to be in a real relationship."

I quickly took the cigarette out of my mouth. I glared at him. "Don't say that. You're only telling yourself lies."

"You'll see, Honne Dell. You'll see that you should have taken her when you had the chance. But she's mine now."

"You speak of her as if she's a possession. She's human too." I smirked. "What if she dumps you?"

Meito scowled. "She can't dump me."

"What if you think she likes you, but actually she's playing you and has you wrapped around her finger?" I sneered.

"Of course not. She'd have to be a damn good actress since I can spy bullshit a mile away." Sakine Meito is an idiot. Or maybe Neru is just a good actress. Or... Sakine Meito is an idiot.

"So you really like her?"

"What's not to like? She's hot, smart, and has attitude."

I smirked. That's my Neru. Did I just think "my"? Oh good Lord...

"She's also really nice when she wants to be. She's perfect. I want her to be my girlfriend," he continued.

I hate the idea of this couple. It's a stupid looking couple.

"Just don't start crying and whining when she dumps you."

"Don't bother with the warning. Like I said, we'll be together in no time. I'll be the one who'll be irresistible to her."

Fat chance. I blinked in response.

"We like each other so much already."

That's some pretty stupid bullshit coming from his mouth.

I asked, "Bro, do I look like a toilet to you?"

"Huh? What? No."

"Because I don't eat up the shit you feed me."

Meito glared at me. Then his phone rang. He looked at it. "I need to go," he mumbled, "Remember. Don't screw with Neru and me. She's my girlfriend, not yours."

Bastard.

Said bastard walked away while whispering quickly into his phone.

I leaned against the wall and exhaled another stream of smoke.

I just realized that I was mentally unstable when we got back from the beach on Friday night. I was convinced that I was in love with Neru. Obviously, I was blinded by my hormones and her hot ass. I mentally punched myself in the face for thinking that.

I do not like Neru in that way and I can say that I do not love her in that way either. If she finds out that I was thinking all this, I'll transfer out of Crypton Academy.

* * *

"Where were you?" asked Neru. She didn't look up from her phone to confirm that it was me.

"Smoke break."

"Cool. Kay. Let's go. We don't have much time."

I promised to go shopping with her. I'm not sure how I got dragged into this. We're on our way to the parking lot right now.

"Can we be quick?" I whined a little.

"We'll try."

I am not looking forward to being dragged around the mall.

"How are we even getting there?" I asked.

"I asked your sister to take us."

"Oh. I haven't seen her in a while."

"Siblings should stay close, don't you think?"

"I guess."

"By the way, your sister is so pretty. Haven't you ever thought so?"

"All my guy friends all have had a crush on her before. It's super weird. Well, except Gakupo. I don't think they've ever met."

"You guys look pretty similar for half-siblings."

"We take after our mother."

"She must be a pretty mom."

"Sure. She's pretty so that explains her constant marriages, divorces, and relationships," I said bitterly.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

I ignored her apology. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't bring myself to say much else.

"Haku's here." Neru pointed at the silver SUV.

I opened the back door for her and got in after her.

"Hi!" greeted Neru cheerfully.

"Hey Haku." I greeted.

"Hi guys. Dell, did mom tell you? She's engaged."

I asked, "What doesn't matter? Isn't she always engaged?"

"Good point." She drove out of the parking lot. "But she's been engaged for a while and is planning a wedding. We might have to go back home for the wedding."

"There should be a law that prevents you from getting engaged or married too often," I said.

Neru was madly typing on her phone. "May I ask how many times she's been engaged?" she asked.

"Engaged like, nine times? Married three times."

"No. You're forgetting the ones from before you were born." said Haku, "She's been married four times. And her current engagement makes twelve."

Neru looked up at me. "What?" she mouthed.

I shrugged. That's my mother for you.

There was a moment of silence before Haku turned the stereo on. A loud sound of a guitar blasted.

"Can you turn it down?" I asked.

She turned it down.

"And maybe to a different song?"

"Like what? Bubblegum pop? Is that what you listen to?" Haku sneered.

"Haha." I laughed dryly.

She changed it.

"Oh. I do like this song." said Neru. She drummed the rhythm with her fingertips on her thigh.

"World's End Dancehall?" I asked.

"Love it." She nodded. Then she quoted, "In sad times, dancing's worth a try/Sometimes you want to laugh and cry/Those things are so boring, I would rather die!"

I nodded with a grin. "It's not a bad song."

We were there in ten minutes. It's not far at all.

"Thanks for taking us off campus," thanked Neru.

"It's no problem. I needed to come to town to run some errands anyway," Haku said.

"Thanks," I nodded.

"Call me when you're done. Have fun on your date."

"It's not a date. Bye," I said monotonously, "C'mon. Let's go."

Neru and I entered the mall. I saw a dress store and pointed to it. She nodded. We entered the store.

I now regret coming with Neru. She's making me carry everything. It's like she's planning to buy the entire store!

"Aren't you buying one dress?"

"I need to try them on and see which is best." She piled more on my arms.

After a few more dresses, she deemed herself ready to try them on. She made me bring all the clothes into the largest changing room.

"Sit down. Tell me which looks best. I need your honest opinion."

"Okay..." I have regrets coming with her.

"I change fast so it's not gonna be that bad." She went behind the curtain.

I stated at the floor. I saw the six inches of Neru's feet and ankles that weren't hidden behind a curtain. She took her shoes off to reveal toenails that were painted silver. I saw her shorts drop to the ground and I looked away. I know she couldn't see my blush, and I couldn't help but remember pantsing her two nights ago.

"Can you zip me up fully? I couldn't get all of it." She opened the curtain.

My jaw dropped.

"Is it okay?" She brought a hand to the top of the dress to prevent it from falling down.

She was wearing a black lace dress. The skirt part proofed out a bit and stopped just above her knees.

"I'm not sure about the lack of straps, but is it okay?" I then noticed that it was strapless.

I looked at the pile of dresses behind her. "Can you just get this one?"

"Why?" She out her hands on her hips. "We have this huge pile to go through."

"But you look," I paused, "beautiful."

She blushed. "I did pick my favorite of this pile... Can you zip me up and tie this sash? I want to see how it looks."

I stood up from my seat and stood close behind her back. I zipped her up without touching her skin. Her shoulders were bare and the dress exposed a bit of her upper back. I took the soft fabric around her waist and tied it. I took the time to "perfect" the bow when I was really just admiring her form from behind.

"You done?"

"Huh? Oh yeah."

She stood in front of the mirror. "I think this dress is the best in the store."

I think you look the best in the store. I think you'll look best at the dance. I think you look the best anywhere.

"Can you get this one? You can buy shoes or whatever if you want."

"I almost forgot about that! Thanks."

"Since you like the dress so much, I'll get it. But you've got to know, I also need accessories."

"Sure. Who knew I'd get the first dress I try on? Miku won't believe me."

In the end, Neru dragged me all around the mall and I had to carry her stuff. She bought a pair of high heels, which was found after the fourth store. She also insisted upon buying what seemed like superfluous accessories.

"You know, after all of this, I hope you look the hottest at the dance," I said.

"Oh Dell, stop it. You know I always look good." She smiled. "Do you have a tie? Wear a tie."

I shook my head. "We'll get you a tie. I'm thinking a deep purple. Your hair will go with the color well. And wear a light gray shirt to the welcoming ceremony."

I nodded, only half-paying attention.

To find one measly tie, we went through the entire mall again. We ended up buying one from the store right next to the one where we bought her dress from.

"We're right back where we started, Neru!"

"Well sorry! It just didn't occur to me until later!" She put her hands on her hips. "You should actually be thanking me since I'm helping you look like the hottest guy at the dance."

"And by the way, are you the only one going stag?" she continued.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" I put my hands in my pockets and looked down at her.

She took a step closer to me. "No. You'll just make girls like Lily want you more." She reached up and brushed my bangs away so she could see my eyes better. "A good looking guy, alone at the party, acting cool. It's awesome."

"Way to keep your head in the clouds. If you haven't noticed, I don't care," I said indifferently. But honestly, I could feel myself heating up at her touch.

She smiled. "I knew you'd say that. How can you not care if a bunch of chicks liked you or not? C'mon, hot chicks." She singsonged the last sentence.

Is she trying to make me a pig? "I'm not like Kaito, who has some sort of god complex about his abilities on getting girls."

"Oh Dell... I'm not trying to make you seem like a douche. I'm just..." Neru stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck.

She whispered the end of her sentence into my ear. "Teasing."

I felt my face grow hot and red. I was shocked and couldn't move.

And just like that, she let go of my neck and grabbed my wrist.

"Let's go get smoothies," she said as she pulled me in the direction of the food court.

God damn it, Neru. Why do you have to go around doing that? She's the worst. She justs teases me and plays around with me. To anyone else, I would have told them to stop. But to Neru I just... I can't... Ughhh! She just gets me every time!

* * *

**I subbed "Thinner Girl" sung by Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka. Link on my profile.**

**Please review telling me what you thought about this chapter and what I should work on.**

******I feel the need to apologize in every chapter for my slow updates... Thank you so much for sticking to this rather long fanfiction with a writer who doesn't seem to put in as much as effort into updating.**** I know that people are going to tell me to update quickly, so I'll try my hardest to crank out some chapters like I used to.**

___This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	30. Chapter 30: Akita Rin 4

**I apologize for my lack of updates. I find that I really like subbing videos (I subbed "Deep-sea City Underground", "Tokyo Cyber Detective Brigade", the Megurine Luka cover of "Chaining Intention", "ANTI THE∞HOLiC"), but that shouldn't be an excuse.**

* * *

Chapter 30: Akita Rin 4  
Wednesday, April 26, 12:57 pm. Art class.

"Today I want you to continue working on the projects you've started before. If you've finished, see me and we can discuss a new project," said our art teacher.

I may not seem like it, but I'm a pretty good artist. I draw pretty well but I prefer painting the most. Art is my favorite class and I'm glad that I have friends in my class. Despite my constant socializing and chatter, I still produce top-quality works. In fact, talking to others is where I get my inspiration for my projects and sketches. Once I have a set vision, I do everything I can to ensure that my vision is able to be seen by everyone else's eyes. Because of that, I take a very long time on each project. It's unlike me to be calm and focused on something for a long time but it's different for art. Since I don't calm down easily, it takes me a very long time for me to get in "the zone", where my mind is in its state of maximum concentration.

Nearly all my classmates are done with their projects. I still have a quarter of the painting more to go, and I don't plan on rushing to finish. Len and Gakupo are also in my class. And they're done with their works already since they drew more than paint. For most of my works, I don't even start with a sketch. I just start painting it on a blank canvas.

The only thing I dislike about art class is that I am told what I can do and what I cannot do. The idea of studying various works and creating my own pieces is the best part, but I can't stand limitations and expectations. This is the reason why I didn't join the art club with Luka.

I'm really proud of how my painting is coming along. The idea for it came from a conversation Len and I had on one of the first times we spoke.

* * *

"It's 11:11! Make a wish!" I said.

I wish Len and I become really good friends.

Len laughed. "You believe that wishes can come true from 11:11?"

I pouted. "Yeah. I believe in all of that stuff."

"Hmmm. Did you know that if you write a wish on paper, put it inside a bottle, and throw it into the sea, that wish would come true? But only if the bottle floats back up without breaking."

I shook my head. "I've never heard of that."

"I read about it somewhere..."

"We should totally do that sometime." I smiled.

His eyes lit up. "Yeah. Yeah let's do it."

"Do you have anything you want to wish for?"

"I wish for..." He looked away. "What do you wish for, Rin-san?"

"For you to be my friend!" I smiled a large and genuine smile.

He blushed. "O-of course I'll be your friend!"

"You're gonna love being friends with me. Life is so much better if you're friends with me."

"Huh?"

"Just you wait. I'm gonna be the best thing that's ever happened to you." My eyes shined with a hint of arrogance.

"I hope so."

"You know so."

* * *

Despite our conversation being pleasant, my painting ended up looking sad, almost dark, and rather gloomy. I intended for this to happen. My paintings' themes are usually very obvious and for some reason I felt a depressing vibe when I thought more of the bottled wishes. I tried to represent a wish of mourning, regret, sadness, and despair.

Gakupo's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Akita-san, your painting is beautiful. A note in a bottle. It is lovely."

"Thank you. Will you mind if I ask you what you think after seeing this unfinished painting?"

"I feel sad, that is for certain. My thinking leads me to believe that someone was in love but his or her lover is no longer with them. This bottled note represents their love and how it is drifting away, which addresses the sad feeling given off from this painting."

I grinned. "Gakupo-kun, you're such a romantic," I teased. "But I love what you got out of my painting. Thanks."

"You are welcome, Akita-san."

I faced my canvas again. I used so many colors just for the note within the bottle. Mixing and blending colors are my specialties.

"I've never seen you so focused before. Maybe your attention span is wider than I thought," said Len.

I frowned. "Are you saying that I have a small attention span?"

He realized what he just said. "Ah! I'm sorry. Did I say that out loud?"

I giggled at his blush. "I may not be as smart as you, but I have talents too."

"And I don't have a short attention span; I just have a lot of energy!" I justified.

He smiled and nodded in a way that looked like he just wanted to shut me up. Whatever. I'll take it.

He cleared his throat. "Your painting," he pointed out, "needs hope. For a happy optimist, you managed to create such a mournful piece."

"You can't expect people to be happy all the time. Humans aren't made like that."

"It makes me sad," he said indifferently, "I want nothing affiliated with you to make me feel sad."

I blushed. "That just shows how great of an artist I am. My art pulls at your heartstrings. People should look at art and be able to feel something."

"Gosh. I wondered why I even bothered taking this class."

I shrugged.

"Because you and Rin-san were fated to meet," said a pleased Gakupo.

Len furrowed his eyebrows at him and returned to his work. I chuckled at the two of them and returned to my work before my paints started to dry completely.

* * *

Thank God the day's done. I have a lot of homework tonight. But Crypton is really lax with homework assignments. Not many are assigned but there are a lot of quizzes and tests to study for.

Luka and I went to drop off our bags in our dorm. She has an art club meeting in thirty minutes. She's also planning to practice her English presentation. She's the only person in our grade who is in level 5 English. That class is meant for seniors. She speaks fluent English and doesn't have that strong of a Japanese accent.

"See you later," she said, "We can study for history together."

I nodded and waved goodbye. "Is that all you can think about?" I grumbled.

Neru and Miku weren't in the dorm, and neither were their stuff. I decided to catch up on some manga. At around 5, Luka came back and began her studies. To leave her at peace, I decided to take a walk before dinner.

I walked out of the dorm building barefoot. My feet were cool from the grass. The light breeze blew at my dress.

The sun is going to set soon. The best places to watch the sunset at Crypton is the roof of the gym and on top of the large hill near the beach. I headed towards the hill.

I was aimlessly heading in that direction, humming and not really thinking about anything. I was suddenly stopped by a familiar blond boy.

"Hi Len." I sort of wanted to hug him. So I did.

He awkwardly returned my hug and quietly said, "I know that it's kind of random, especially for a school night, but want to go on a picnic with me?"

"Huh? Now?"

"Yeah." He looked down. "I want to watch the sunset and the stars with you."

I didn't bother hiding my blush. "Sure."

"But, ummmm... Where were you going anyway? And where are your shoes?"

We began our walk towards the hill. We were walking very close to each other. So close that our hands would occasionally bump into each other's. For some reason, I couldn't muster the courage to hold his hand.

"I was heading towards that huge hill so I could watch the sunset. And I simply didn't feel like wearing shoes."

He smiled. "We're going there together now. By the way, I don't know how to cook and all I have are bentos, even though they don't make proper dinners."

"I don't care what's for eating; I can eat a steak for breakfast if I felt like it." I smiled. "Besides, what's the point of enjoying food if you have no one to enjoy it with?" I giggled. "If you're going to enjoy a simple bento, it's tastier with someone else."

"How did you know where to find me?" It suddenly occurred for me to ask.

"I didn't come up with idea until I acquired the bento boxes. So I called Luka and she said you left. I asked where you've gone to and she said that you're most likely wandering around aimlessly. Then she said that your favorite constellation can be visible today and that you probably went to see it."

"How did she know about my favorite constellation? I don't remember talking about this. Then again, those girls probably know me better than myself. And I meant to only watch the sunset. But the Gemini constellation can be seen a little after sunset."

"I've never cared much for stars before." He admitted.

I wiped my palm on my dress and took his hand gently. He didn't seem to mind and he lightly squeezed back.

"Neru and I stargazed all the time when we were younger. I enjoyed it more though."

We got up on the hill. There's a tree on the hill, which is great during the day for shade. But for stargazing purposes, we picked a spot away from the tree. Len got out what looked like a table cloth to sit on.

"How cute." I said as I sat down next to him.

He handed me a bento box.

"Thanks." I opened it and looked inside. "Yum."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The silence wasn't awkward, it felt quite comfortable actually.

Spoke too soon. Len broke the silence. "Ummm… Wouldn't it be kind of lonely to watch the sunset by yourself?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I had nothing better to do and I've never been by myself before."

"I'm glad I found you then." His eyes focused on mine. "I don't want you to be alone."

"Thanks…" I muttered. I blushed and looked down at my bento box.

We finished out meal in silence. Len poured me a cup of tea from a thermos. The sun was setting already. I need to thank my mother for wanting to send me to Crypton. The view is amazing.

Len lay down to the right of me with his arms behind his head. "Which one is Gemini?"

I lay down close next to him. Some of the stars are already visible. I pointed to the sky. "To the left of Taurus and the right of Cancer."

"Sooo... Where?"

I got really close to him so I could see what he could see. I put my head right next to his and laid on to my side. I supported my head with my right arm. I pointed at the Gemini constellation right above his face with my left hand.

"You get those stars and connect them. They look like stick figures holding hands."

"I..." Len trailed off. "I think I see it!" He pointed to the constellation with his right hand.

He turned and looked at me with a proud grin on his face. I smiled back. His smile vanished and a blush replaced it. His arm dropped.

I returned his blush with my own. The distance between our faces was so close. Time seemed to have stopped, and so did our bodies because neither of us moved. I could feel my lips parted slightly, but couldn't bring myself to close it. We just laid there, staring into each other's eyes.

"Rin..." he breathed. He said my name so faintly, it seemed as if it was blown away by the light breeze.

I blinked slowly.

His right hand reached over to me and moved my bangs away from my eyes. On his hand's journey from my forehead, its fingers brushed against the side of my face. His hand caressed my left cheek and didn't let go of it.

I held my breath. I blinked slowly again.

I can't explain what happened next perfectly. Time seemed to stop at the same time everything happened so quick.

Len slowly shut his eyes and leaned closer to my face. His hand went to my chin and he raised it up a little. His right knee was slightly on top of my left leg.

My eyes wide remained open when his soft lips kissed mine. I knew my first kiss was coming, but I was still so surprised.

After a second, I closed my eyes and kissed him back. His hand hadn't left my chin yet. My right hand traveled to the back of his neck.

It felt like I was melting at the feeling of his lips on mine. I tilted my head up a little to welcome him a little more to my lips.

After a few more seconds, I drew back slightly. I was a kind of out of breath and I felt my heart rate faster than ever.

My eyes were still closed and I opened them slowly. Len looked at me through half opened eyes. His lips were pink and smooth. Oh, how I wanted to feel them again!

Before he could open his eyes further, I kissed him. This time, I pressed up closer against him. We kissed until we ran out of breath. I could feel my heart beat faster than before.

We drew back. I let my hand hang loosely off his neck. He let go of my chin. We laid there in silence, just admiring each other's gorgeous blue eyes.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he whispered.

I smiled a small, sweet smile. "Yes." I whispered back.

* * *

**Kyaahhh~ Rin's first kiss! Was it too soon? 'Cause I've wanted them together for ages and can't stand them not together.**

**I got the inspiration for Rin's art ability from my sister. They're almost the exact copy of each other (in this story). My sister is an excellent artist and her favorite song of all time is "Regret Message". So obviously, she painted something inspired by "Regret Message". It's absolutely stunning. I wonder if she'll ever come across this fanfiction. She scrolls around this site frequently.**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review~**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	31. Chapter 31: Hatsune Miku 4

Chapter 31: Hatsune Miku 4  
Friday, May 5, 3:24 pm. Po Pi Po company.

"Miku." My manager said in a harsh tone. "Stop tapping your foot."

I stopped. "I'm sorry, mother." I didn't realize I was tapping my foot. I guess I'm excited for the audition.

My mother is my manager and when she's being my manager, we speak and behave on professional terms. It's almost as if we're not in a mother-daughter relationship. But when she's not busy being my manager, we're on a more intimate and close relationship. I'm not exactly sure why we switch from the two.

I gripped my arm rest tighter. I turned my head a little to the side and from the corner of my eye, I peeked at my mother. She was on her tablet, reading and taking notes on some article. I turned my head to see her more easily. Her hair was up in a tight bun without a single hair out of place, like it always is. Her hair is the same color as mine, and it was free of any gray hairs. She wore dark brown reading glasses, which were on the edge of her nose. Her red lips were tightly pursed as she shook her head slightly at her tablet. My mother is in her late thirties and is beautiful and professional. I admired her greatly.

I slipped my cell phone out of my skirt pocket and ran my thumb against the back of it. For my birthday last year, Neru bought me a personalized smart phone. She got the entire thing covered in teal crystal rhinestones. On the back of the phone, near the bottom, my name is spelled out in white rhinestones. I've dropped my phone loads of times and these rhinestones do not come off nor get scuffed, ever. Neru knows some crazy cell phone decorators.

I went through my inbox. I haven't checked my phone in hours.

Neru:  
'Remember us when you're famous. You're gonna own that audition :D'

Rin:  
'Good luck at your audition! Not that you'll need any, you've got this in the bag! Len says good luck too! :D'

Luka:  
'Good luck, Miku. Do your best! Call us after you're done, I don't want you to come to the welcoming ceremony late. Also, you can copy my history notes. I'm not sure about your English class, but you can ask someone about that.'

I smiled and rolled my eyes. Trust Luka to text me about school at a time like this. I had to miss my last two classes, world history and English III to come to this audition.

I looked at the message again and frowned. The welcoming program. I definitely cannot be late for that.

Kaito:  
'Tell me all about your audition and how you're the new Po Pi Po girl at the welcoming program tonight, okay? I have faith that you'll do excellent in your audition. Can't wait to see you :)'

I smiled. Kaito's so cute. I checked the time on my phone. It was exactly 3:30.

Talk about timing. Po Pi Po does not lie when they say my audition is at 3:30. The door across the waiting room opened. A tall lady with long straight hair in a sleek ponytail stepped out. Her suit was perfect. Her level on looking professional rivaled my manager.

"Miss Hatsune Miku, we are ready for you."

I handed my phone to my manager and confidently stood up. My manager and I both headed toward the woman.

She smiled, revealing perfectly white, symmetrical teeth. She shook our hands.

"My name is Fujita Ruri and I will be the one judging your audition."

We entered the room. It was large. There were many lights, cameras, microphones, speakers, wires, and other tech equipment. In the center of it all, was a blank white wall that was most likely used for picture taking.

"Please sit down and make yourself comfortable," Fujita-san said to my manager.

"Hatsune-san, would you like to have the photo shoot first? Or would you prefer the audition? The audition is going to have you recite a few lines of the script, sing, and dance. Is that alright?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yup. I'd like to have the photo shoot first, since I'm in a modeling mood."

She smiled and went to grab her camera.

"It's only head shots and simple things, so what you look like now is fine. In fact, I really like your outfit. Very trendy."

"Thank you." I smoothed my skirt.

We began the photo shoot. It didn't last long, or it just didn't seem that way. What comes next is the harder part.

Fujita-san asked, "How confident are you with your singing?"

"I love to sing!" I answered proudly.

"Perfect. Any particular genres?"

"I think my voice is better suited for pop, soft, or cutesy songs. But I'd like to think of myself as quite versatile and willing to sing anything."

"Fantastic. Our jingle is definitely pop and cutesy-like. Can you sing fast?"

"How fast is fast? Because I can go pretty fast."

"Great. We'll see how good this will be. You're getting my hopes up. Sing for me a song. Any song. Preferably pop or anything that can express your singing ability well."

"Do you know the song, "World is Mine"?"

"Yes." She smiled wider. "Sing that for me."

I sang just as if I was singing in the shower, or if I was practicing by myself. It just seemed so natural to sing that I didn't even feel nervous.

After I was done, Fujita-san started to clap. "Marvelous. Your voice is just perfect. Time for dancing. Do you like to dance?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"Would you like background music or something?"

"If it's possible, can I hook up my phone to the speakers? I have a song on my phone I'd like to dance to."

"Splendid. By the way, can you dance and sing at the same time?" she asked.

"Do you want me to? I can do that. I have the song without any vocals on my phone too."

"Wow. Alright. But know that when we do the actual commercial, we're going to have the music added in later and you're lip syncing in the video."

I nodded. My manager handed my phone to me and I picked the song. Fujita-san hooked my phone up the speakers.

I took position and waited for "Tell Your World" begin. I began singing and dancing once it got to my part. I love dancing to this song in particular. It went off without a hitch. After the dance, Fujita-san clapped excitedly. I saw my manager smile behind Fujita-san.

"Excellent. Just excellent. The commercial is going to be all song. But if necessary, we might have to have you recite lines from a script."

"Cool. I'm fine with anything, even improvisation."

"Wonderful. You're so perfect, I'm surprised you're not a star already."

My manager replied, "You see, we can't hold Miku down with a contract right now because she's still in school. Because of that, no talent or modeling agency wants her."

"Boo." Fujita-san pouted. "Though I shouldn't complain. Since then I can't have you for myself."

Fujita-san checked her watch. "I'll send you a recording if the jingle we had in mind. Can you come back here sometime next week to record your singing?"

I grinned. "Of course."

* * *

My phone's clock read 5:36.

"Mother, can't we drive any faster?" Tokyo traffic is insane. Crypton is in Tokyo, but the city's huge and tons of people live in it.

The welcoming ceremony starts at 6:30 and at this rate, I'm gonna be late. Unacceptable. It takes me forever and a day to get ready.

"Relax, we're going to get there on time." My mother reassured me.

I crossed my arms across my chest. "I better." I pouted.

I checked my phone.

Neru:  
'Where are you? Welcoming ceremony starts in less than an hour!'

Luka:  
'If you're late to the welcoming ceremony, please slip in through the back of the entrance of the banquet hall.'

I arrived on campus at 6:02. I dashed to my dorm to take a shower and get dressed. Rin and Neru were still here.

"Oh my gosh! Hey! How'd it go?" Rin smiled cheerfully but couldn't get up, since Neru was painting her right hand's nails.

"Great! Can't chat, gonna shower now." I said, as I opened the bathroom's door.

After the quickest shower of my life, I came out and dried my hair. Drying my hair often takes longer than my showers. I've already accepted that I was going to be late. I told Rin and Neru to tell Luka that I will be late.

After drying my hair, I put on my dress and went to the vanity to put on a bit of makeup and style my hair in its usual style. I put my earrings on and looked at myself in the mirror.

"It's time to get this show on the road." I smiled.

* * *

**I don't watch MMD PVs at all, so I don't know what is a particularly good dance PV. But I've seen the Google Chrome commercial with Miku dancing in it to "Tell Your World" and I loved it.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	32. Chapter 32: Kamui Gakupo 4

**I subbed "Maidens, Life is Short so Fall in Love!", the GUMI cover of "CANDY CANDY", "Falling Snow", "Liar Simulation", and the IA cover of "Eyesight Test".**

**If you're a Kuroko no Basket fan, or just a plain excellent person in general, please check out and follow my friends' Tumblr: swagdorima DOT tumblr DOT com**

**As usual, every link necessary is posted on my profile.**

* * *

Chapter 32: Kamui Gakupo 4  
Friday, May 5, 6:17 pm. Banquet hall.

The homeroom representatives had to come to the banquet hall one hour prior to the welcoming ceremony to set up.

"Have you seen Megurine-san?" asked Rei, the male representative for homeroom 1.

"I have not seen much of her. She has been the one who seems the busiest. Last time I saw her, she was running off to the cafeteria." I answered with a slight frown.

"I think she went to help bring the cupcakes." said Gumi, "Why does she seem to be rushing so much? I mean, she's an excellent planner and is totally organized, but is she forgetting that we're here too?"

Rei shrugged.

"She is what you would call "a control freak". She needs to look over every detail and make sure everything is perfect," I answered.

"Gosh... Does she have OCD?" Gumi asked.

"Of course not. Actually, I am not sure. Maybe she is stressed out or something."

"From what?"

"I am not sure."

We spotted Luka entering through the back door. She was talking on her phone. She saw us and waved. She put her phone down.

"The rest of the food's coming," she said, "and do you know who's going to deliver the welcome speech? I wasn't told of this until a few minutes ago."

Gumi replied, "I've got that covered."

"Phew. Good. What else is there to do?"

"There's nothing left to do but relax, Megurine-san."

Luka looked around, in search of something to do. When she found none, she let out a sigh.

"Okay. Apparently Miku's going to be late, since she got to school at six and it takes her ages to get ready."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Gumi.

I answered, "Megurine-san does not like tardiness at all."

"It bothers me to no end," said Luka while tugging on her hair.

* * *

Miku ended up arriving thirty minutes after the welcoming ceremony started. Luka gave a small lecture about time to her after hearing Miku's excuse on why she was late, which was, "I couldn't decide which heels to wear so I borrowed yours". Miku actually arrived right after Gumi's speech, which bothered Luka even more.

Luka, Kaito, Miku, Dell, Rin, Len, and I picked a table to eat our dinner on. Neru arrived with Meito and was sitting with him and his friends.

Halfway into our meal, Rin decided to drop a bomb on us. "Oh. By the way, I think I forgot to tell you guys that Len and I are officially dating," she casually said as she reached for her glass of orange soda.

Len began to blush brightly. "Rin..."

Miku began to choke on the food that did not yet gap down her throat. Dell almost dropped his cup of soda. Luka, Kaito, and I just sat in our seats in shock. Luka then cleared her throat and handed Miku a glass of water and began to tap her back.

I have never seen Len look as happy as he does in the recent days. This was obviously why he was so happy.

"How did you manage to keep that from me-I mean, us?" Miku managed, her face flushed from her choking.

"Sorry about that," said Len, whose blush still did not leave his face.

"I mean, congrats," Miku said, "But Rin, how did you keep that from us? You can't keep a secret, especially one as big as this."

"Well, that's why I decided to tell you guys now. I couldn't really keep it for any longer. I wish Neru was here so she could have heard."

Dell muttered, "Knowing her, she probably already knows."

We all silently agreed.

"Well. Congrats, bro." Kaito nodded.

"Thanks." Len's blush was going away.

* * *

Those who finished their dinner were already getting up to dance. I glanced over at Luka, who was giggling with Miku.

I put my elbow on the table and raised my hand under my chin. I sighed as I watched Luka twirl a strand of hair with a slender finger.

"What are you waiting for, Gakupo?" Kaito asked me quietly. He looked annoyed.

I raised an eyebrow at my blue-haired friend. "Hmmm?"

"Ask her to dance already."

"Oh... I guess I will."

"Good." Kaito left his seat. I think he went to get something to drink or socialize with other people.

Rin dragged Len to the dance floor. Dell left to smoke a cigarette.

I remained quiet and seated. I definitely did not feel like asking her to dance. This is so awkward.

Kaito suddenly came out of nowhere and whisked Miku away.

I cleared my throat. "Would you care to share a dance with me, Megurine-san?" I asked.

Luka looked around, perhaps for something better to do, but mumbled a reply. "Sure."

We made our way to the dance floor, which was already full of people. We began to dance to a quite upbeat song. When the song ended, she muttered an apology and ran away.

"What?" I wondered out loud. I scanned the dimly lit room for the pink-haired girl.

In my search, I ran into Dell. "Did you happen to see Megurine-san?"

"Uhhh, yeah. I think I saw her at one of the balconies," he answered, the smell of his cigarette still lingering on his breath.

"Thank you."

"Speaking of missing girls, did you see Neru recently?"

"My sincerest apologies. I have not seen her and if I did, I do not recall."

"Thanks anyway."

"Also, please eat a mint or something."

"Is the smell that bad?" he mumbled while walking away.

I turned to where the balconies were. In the one furthest from the entrance of the banquet hall, was Luka. Her back was turned and she was leaning forward on the stone railing.

"What are you doing outside? The party is inside."

She turned around. "Oh. Hey," she greeted flatly.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong."

I took a few steps forward, to the right of her. I leaned against the thick stone railing.

"Do you not want to dance?"

She looked up at me. "Actually, no."

"Do you want to talk?"

She bit her lower lip. "Not really." She looked away. "No. It's not that, it's just..."

She looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her. "Today is my father's birthday."

I remember that she had said that she had never met her father before.

"I lied when I said I've never met my father. I've met him three months ago."

Her hands balled into fists. And her face flushed.

"All my life, I thought my parents divorced when I was young. But that wasn't the case." Her voice shook, as if she was about to start crying. "They weren't even married to begin with."

"I met my father in prison. Apparently I'm a bastard child. I should have never happened."

She looked down. In the low light, I saw a sparkling tear slide down her face.

"He's in prison because he..."

She began to cry. She tried to wipe away her tears with her hands, but it was a futile effort. I tenderly wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her into a light embrace. I felt the pink-haired girl shaking.

"My mother and I moved to America soon after she had me. I only returned to Japan to attend middle school here."

Her crying died down and was now reduced to the occasional hiccup and sniffle.

"I've always wondered where my father was and why I didn't have one. I asked my grandmother three months ago what really happened. So behind my mother's back, we went to visit him."

Luka began to cry again. I moved some of the hair away from her face.

"My father is in prison for..." She sniffled. "Raping my mother. The end product of that was me!"

I hugged her as gently as possible; I was afraid she would break.

"When I visited him, he seemed pretty nice. You would have never known that he was a rapist. We had a conversation and he told me he was sorry but glad to meet me. We tried to briefly catch up to make up for the last fifteen years since he's my father and all."

She hugged me tightly, as if hugging me would make her feel better.

"I honestly felt melancholic when I met him, but also angry and scared that he did that to my mother. I love my mother and am scared that that happened to her. And during the dance, I just remembered that it was his birthday, and... I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh..." I rested my chin on the top of head lightly. "It is alright, Megurine-san."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm sorry for being broken."

I whispered to her hair, "No, I am sorry."

I felt her shake her head against my chest. "Thank you." She sniffled.

She put her hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes with her wet ones. My hands were resting on her waist.

"I'm a mess. And I'm sorry for letting you see me like this. Oh, and your shirt. I got it wet."

"It is just a shirt." I shook my head. "You needed to let it out."

She smiled a little. "You're right. Thank you."

"And you are not a mess, you are beautiful. Even when you cry, you are beautiful. But you are more so when you smile."

She giggled. "Flattery will get you nowhere." She poked my chest.

I could not help but chuckle. Her giggle was adorable.

"Since we're standing in this intimate position, why don't we dance?" she asked with a smile.

"Of course," I said with a nod.

We began to slow dance. The song that was playing was definitely not suited for the dance we were dancing. The song that was playing was a song suited for a night club. But we could not have cared less.

"Dancing can be a lot of fun," she murmured. She rested her head against my shoulder. I felt her breathing softly.

The song ended. We heard familiar voices speaking through a microphone.

"What's going on?" Luka turned her head to look inside.

My left hand dropped from her waist. "Let us take a look inside, then."

We came inside and saw Rin and Miku on the stage. They each held a microphone.

"What's going on?" Luka asked a random person.

"Rin and Miku are gonna sing!" he answered excitedly.

"What? Since when was this karaoke time?" Luka asked angrily.

She turned and looked at me. "Wait here. I'm going to tell them to stop."

I saw her march to the stage. Rin and Miku bent down to the stage's edge to talk to her. She took away Rin's microphone and held out her hand to Miku. Miku shook her head and held her microphone tightly with both hands. Luka turned her microphone on and spoke into it.

"Sorry guys. But my friends here apparently got a little too excited and wanted to sing. That's not permitted, so please stop egging them on."

"Awww, don't be a killjoy, Luka!" said Miku.

I went to consult a teacher. The teachers were sitting at one table, and did not appear to care about the situation.

"Hello, Kamui-san," greeted my homeroom teacher.

"Hello. Are we allowed to perform on the stage?" I asked.

"No one made rules against it. I don't see why not. In fact, you see those black sheets covering those things on the stage? They're a drum set, a keyboard, and a couple electric guitars hooked up to an amp. You kids can play them if you want. I want to see a good show. Tell Megurine-san that."

"Yes, sir."

I made my way to the stage. Luka was still arguing with Rin and Miku.

"Apparently we are allowed to perform on the stage. We can play the instruments over there too. I just asked our teacher." I said.

Rin and Miku exchanged high fives. Luka groaned.

"Whatever. Have fun with your impromptu concert, guys." Luka handed Rin the microphone.

Rin shook her head and held her hands up. "No, Luka. You sing! I love your voice!"

Luka froze. "No. No, no, no, no."

"C'mon! Gakupo! Don't you wanna hear her sing?" Rin laughed.

I looked at Luka, who was shaking her head at me. I looked at the two girls on the stage; they were nodding their heads.

"Well, I can not lie. I would like to hear her sing." I admitted.

Luka frowned.

"Yay!" Miku began to clap her hands excitedly.

Rin pointed at Luka's face. "Megurine Luka, I choose you!"

"Cut that out. I'm not a Pokémon." Luka gave an exasperated sigh.

"I say we start a chant." Miku suggested. "Luka, Luka."

With a laugh, Rin and I joined in. Before other people could join the chant, Luka held her hands up in defeat.

"Fine! Just one song. I suck at singing anyway." Her blush was leaving her face. "Miku, sing with me. I'll sing backup. You're so good that it'll cancel out my mediocre singing."

Miku shook her head. "Pshhh. I doubt it."

Luka got on the stage. The crowd began to cheer. Rin hopped off the stage.

Miku and Luka exchanged a quick word. Miku nodded.

"Can Kaito come to the stage real quick?" asked Miku.

Kaito stood in front of the stage. "What am I doing here?" He looked up to the girls on the stage.

"You're gonna play the drum part to "World's End Dancehall". Is that cool?" asked Miku.

"Cool. Get Dell, he can play the bass for that song."

Dell has not opened his bass guitar case until about two weeks ago, the day he went shopping with Neru. Since then, he was seen playing the bass line to "World's End Dancehall", the very song they will be performing now. What coincidence that Luka and Miku decided on this song.

Dell cleared his throat. "I'm right here."

"Come up and play bass," said Kaito.

He looked reluctant. "Uh, okay."

"We need guitars, but that doesn't matter. I'll just cover that with keyboard." said Luka.

After two minutes, Miku turned on her microphone and tapped it to get our attention.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I heard Luka say before she played the first note on the keyboard.

As I listened to my friends perform, I thought of what Kaito told me a few days ago when we were alone in our dorm room.

* * *

"Gakupo. Bro, you know I'm a person who think he knows about feelings. And I can pretty much guess people's way of thinking pretty easily." Kaito took a bite of his ice cream sandwich.

I nodded and politely waited for him to finish chewing.

"I think I've got Luka pretty much figured out." He licked the bit of ice cream that got on his thumb. "She's not who you think she is. It pains me to say this, since I'm all for people liking each other and stuff. But it's best to give up on her."

I gasped, "What do you mean?" I could not formulate intelligible sentences other than that question.

Kaito simply shrugged. "You think she's nice and sweet, but she's a whole other person. You need to look at the whole package, not just the pretty packaging." He reached over to toss the ice cream sandwich wrapper into the trash bin.

"I feel strongly towards her, and I know her. She is a beautiful person on the inside," I defended. I looked over to the blue-haired bearer of bad news.

"Snap out if it, dude! The girl told me herself. She cannot love in that way!" He stood up from his seat.

As if standing up could possibly prove his point any better.

"Whatever you say cannot change how I feel. The way you describe her makes her seem less human." Megurine Luka is not inhuman. She just is not. She cannot be. She is too wonderful and perfect.

"Fine. Whatever. Don't say I didn't warn you. You're only gonna get your heart beat up by her." He remained standing.

I could not help but glare at Kaito. He returned my facial expression with a dirty look of his own. Before I could say anything, he walked out of the room without a word.

* * *

"Giving up" on love is something so preposterous, especially for Kaito of all people to tell me to so. Besides, would someone incapable of love be able to break down from the memory of her first encounter with her father? Kaito has never been so wrong in his life.

No. Perhaps learning of her father's state and her mother's past is what drove Luka to come across as loveless to Kaito.

To me, Luka is just more real. She is not flawed or tainted or even lacking in anything. She is not broken. She is Megurine Luka in her purest form.

I fell in love with her the moment I laid my eyes on her. What she says or does will not change that.

I looked up at my friends on the stage. I can tell that Kaito and Luka were improvising some of their parts. This is the first time I have heard Luka play the piano and she sounds amazing.

All of a sudden, Miku dropped out of singing and left Luka to sing by herself. Luka did not even bat an eyelash and sang by herself, loudly and clearly. Miku came back in to finish the chorus of the song.

The audience cheered loudly and my friends bowed. Luka blushed lightly when she met my eyes.

I love you, I wanted to say.

I love you even if you would never return my feelings.

I love you even if you think you are broken.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading and following. Please leave a review, it motivates me to write more.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	33. Chapter 33: Akita Neru 5

**My computer unexpectedly died on Tuesday afternoon. There will probably be lots of grammar errors and spacing issues since I can't fix them on the phone easily. But here's an update nonetheless.**

**I hardsubbed Kikuo's "Reincarnation Ascensation" sung by Hatsune Miku. ****I probably won't be doing any subbing for a while, since I don't have a computer anymore.  
No computer=no life X_X**

* * *

Chapter 33: Akita Neru 5  
Friday, May 5, 7:09 pm. Banquet hall.

I laughed politely at the joke told by Meito. I honestly wasn't even listening, I was too busy on my phone. I guess it appeared that I was paying attention since I was typing on my phone on my lap while looking up at my peers.

I am eating dinner with all the people Meito and Lily hang out with. I never even bothered to memorize their names and only associated them by their faces.

I slipped my phone under my thigh and raised my glass of water to my lips. Just as I was about to take a sip, Meito slipped his hand to the area right above my right knee and stroked it lightly with his thumb. Thank God that I decided to wear stockings tonight. I would've definitely minded more if he touched my bare skin.

He didn't stop his stroking. His action seemed almost possessive, but I didn't think much of it. I paused, the drink in front of my face and my mouth open. He didn't look at me and continued looking straight ahead while conversing just as he was throughout the entire dinner. I didn't stop his intimate action and drank my water.

It's hard to pretend that I fit in-or even care for these people. It's hard to laugh at their jokes and make polite, meaningless conversations with them. It's hard to try and become buddy-buddy with Meito's friends. It's hard to refrain myself from punching Lily's nose every time she bats her eyelashes at Meito. All I want to do is have a little lip action with that guy. That sounded more pathetic than intended.

I adjusted my small, black fingerless glove on my left hand. My right hand was bare purely because I lost the other glove and the outfit needed more of a punk-twist.

The hand on my thigh began to creep up higher and was moving under my dress. Aware of this action, I decided that I wasn't going to embarrass the two of us and crossed my right leg over my left. His hand slipped off my leg and onto my seat, but my plan backfired since his hand ended up trailing up my leg even further before it hit the seat.

I got out my phone and snapped it open. I sent a text to Dell in hopes of him replying during his dinner.

Neru:  
'These people are a nightmare. Save me!'

He didn't reply.

With a sigh, I put my phone on silent and tucked it in the safest spot I came up with: the garter on my left thigh. I looked over at Meito, who was in a heated discussion about some sort of sports-related event. I leaned over close to him and placed my gloved hand gently on his left forearm.

"Sweetie, lets go dance," I purred.

Meito's eyes widened and instantly dropped his conversation and took my hand. "Of course!"

I led our way to the dance floor, his hands holding my hand and waist. We danced to several songs, the first being "Come Together". Eventually, the constant nagging feeling in the back of my head overcame the rest of my mind so I excused myself to check my phone. It's been more than 15 minutes since I last checked it, and I wanted to see if Dell responded to my text.

He still didn't. Boo. I scanned the dining tables in the room but couldn't see him. My thumb snapped my phone open again and my fingers flew instinctively over the keyboard. Just as I was about to send a text message, I stopped myself. I quickly deleted the message. The text message read:

Neru:  
'Dell, I'm so bored. Where are you?'

I mentally slapped myself. I must sound so desperate! Besides, he's probably out smoking. I returned my phone to its safe spot and slowly walked to the dance floor. Everyone seemed to enjoy dancing and was having a good time. Instead of enjoying the dancing, I felt it almost hellishly tedious.

Once again, I stopped myself from doing something stupid. I turned around, away from the dance floor. I decided to go to a balcony-to be specific, the balcony with the best wifi compare to the others.

Once I got there, I sat myself on the stone railing. Having stable Internet connection makes me feel more at ease in control.

The night air felt pleasantly cool against my bare shoulders. I began to tap my feet against the railing in time with the song that was currently playing.

My phone suddenly rang loudly. My shock from this sudden noise threw me off balance on my seat. Before I knew it, I was falling backwards to the ground below me. Surprisingly, or maybe not-so surprisingly, I managed to keep a firm grip on my cell phone. The ledge I was on was about fifteen feet from the ground, and I knew I was going to be severely injured.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. My butt didn't end up meeting the pavement. Instead, I was lucky to have been caught bridal-style by a pair of strong arms. I looked at my savior.

"Good thing I was nearby," said none other than Honne Dell. He gave me a cute little smirk with his cigarette in his mouth. His red eyes looked brighter than usual.

I gulped. "You can put me down now," I mumbled.

He ignored me. He smiled impishly and began to speak over-dramatically, "and I was looking for you too! What great timing you have. Who knew you would just fall out of the sky when I think about you?"

I ignored the blush threatening to redden my face.

"I can't put you down when you're missing a shoe!" he continued.

I haven't noticed that my right shoe had gone missing. I remembered that it got caught on the railing as I fell. It must still be up on the balcony.

"A lady can't possibly walk without the proper footwear!"

"Oh, shut up and put me down already."

"Nah. I like you in my arms, since you seem more vulnerable and cute."

I'm more angry than flattered. "Aren't I heavy?" I tried.

"You asked me that before, and the answer is the same." He grinned cockily and began to walk to a deserted bench. The bench didn't even have any lampposts or lights by it.

I put my arms around his neck as delicately as I could, hoping that I wouldn't actually have to touch his neck. It was an unsuccessful attempt.

However, I did take notice of the tie I picked out for him. As expected, it looked gorgeous on him. He didn't button his shirt all the way up and didn't wear the tie tightly. He looked terribly informal, but his carefree look made him look more attractive, giving him an untamed look.

Dell stopped by a trash can before we got to the bench.

He ordered, "take the cigarette out of my mouth." I took it out, not knowing what to do with it.

"Snuff the butt of it and throw it away," he commanded. I assumed "snuff"ing it meant to stop the small ember at the end. Smoker lingo is a weird vernacular indeed. I threw it away.

He sauntered over to the bench and sat down. He removed his left arm from behind my legs. His right arm that was on my back dropped to loosely wrap my waist. I dropped my arms from his neck. I was sitting sideways on his lap, looking up at him.

"Had enough of Meito?" he asked. I suddenly became very self-conscious.

"Not enough for me wanting to sit on your lap." I tried to get off. He strong arm tightened his hold on my waist.

"Nah. You're too cute to put down. Besides, I like it when you're out of your comfort zone. You're more amusing."

The lap dance I gave him at the beach all those nights ago flashed across my mind. I blushed furiously.

In another vain attempt, I tried to escape from his lap. "Ughhh. Fine." I pouted.

"Hmmm. I didn't know you would be so submissive. I expected more resistance."

"I'm tired," I lied.

He grinned. "Sure."

I looked straight ahead, away from his gleeful crimson eyes.

"Out of curiosity, did you ever get any action with Meito?" asked Dell.

My eyebrows furrowed. "No! Why would you bring that up?" I angrily exclaimed.

"Awww. Meito-kyun wouldn't kiss you?" he mocked in a baby voice.

"Shut up." I felt too beat up to come up with a proper comeback.

"Hmmm." He looked up and nodded. "Here."

I felt soft lips peck my cheek. My cheeks instantly flared. The skin where his lips touched burned.

I looked up with wide eyes. "Wh-What was that for?" I stammered.

He shrugged. "You didn't get kissed by Meito so I figured I'd give you one."

"Oh, stuff it. I don't need your pathetic pity kiss!" I glared at him and childishly crossed my arms.

"Well, I'm insulted," he said dryly. "I'm sorry," he added sarcastically.

"Besides," I said quietly but assertively, "this is a real kiss." I placed my hands on either sides of his face and slightly brought it down closer to my own face. I paused before I brought his lips to mine. I could smell the leftover smell of his cigarette on his lips. I winked at his shocked expression and closed my eyes. I then kissed him.

At first, Dell didn't respond to the kiss. I assume he was still overwhelmed by my actions. But then, he tilted his head to welcome mine. The arm around my waist tightened, and his hand gripped me possessively. His left hand that was once free caressed my right cheek.

A few seconds later, I realized that the position we were in was unfit for a proper make-out session. Sitting with my left side facing him and turning my head is unreasonable.

I broke the kiss and opened my eyes. His hand dropped from my face. My eyes met his, which were half-open and still glazed over. Now that we weren't kissing, the night's wind seemed more evident to me, and my unclothed shoulders shivered. I mumbled an incoherent "wait" while I placed my hands on his shoulders. I moved my left leg across his lap so that I could straddle him. My knees and shins were resting on the bench and felt a bit uncomfortable, but I couldn't care less.

I found that I couldn't sit on him and kiss him since he was he was still so tall. If I sat, his lips would meet the tip of my nose. My torso is short compared to my legs, so I'll blame my own body for now. I raised my butt slightly so that I wasn't sitting on him anymore.

Once I decided that this was an appropriate position, I laced my fingers around his neck and assaulted his lips with my own. This time, he wasn't caught off guard and returned the kiss immediately. His left hand held my waist and his right one supported my upper back, which was bare and sensitive to his touch.

As much as I'd like to have moved slowly and passionately, the heat of the moment didn't allow that. Our kissing turned more forceful than intended. Nonetheless, it was still full of emotion.

I took charge and licked his bottom lip. I could taste a bit of his cigarette's flavor. I'm surprised that it lingered for this long. He complied to my tongue's wish and opened his mouth. My tongue poked into his mouth carefully; his returned my favor. One of my hands grabbed at the back of his head, not caring if it screwed up his perfect silver hair. The other hand rested on the top of his chest.

Eventually our faces broke apart from each others. I fell back on to his lap. My chest was moving up and down and I was out of breath. I'm sure his heart was still beating quickly, like mine. My hand left his chest but my other hand didn't come down from the back of his neck. His dropped from my back to hold my waist. I then realized that I was ridiculously embarrassed and couldn't find the proper words to say.

"So... Uhhh... That. Ummm... Thanks for properly demonstrating how to kiss..." awkwardly said an equally mortified Dell.

I felt a blush blossoming on my cheeks. "Uhhh... Yeah. Sure. Anytime." I blushed harder. "No! Not anytime. I mean, yes. No. Wait. No! It's not like that wasn't super great or anything, it's just that... Wait! What am I saying? No? No. No!" My face was no longer red from just embarrassment, but also from frustration.

He looked at me with a confused expression. "Okay?"

"No!" Why did I kiss him? What's wrong with me? Why did we do that? That's like, taboo in friendships. It's true what they say: boys and girls can't be just best friends.

"So, not okay?" He still seemed confused. Since when did he get so dumb? He almost reminded me of Meito right then!

Why am I still on top of him? I jumped off of him quickly. I smoothed the skirt part of my dress and looked down. To my embarrassment, my dress was crooked. My fault for choosing a strapless dress. It must have twisted during our-ahem, prior interaction.

I looked down and adjusted myself, knowing he was staring at me. I took my left shoe off and carried it by its heel.

"I'm gonna... I'm gonna... I'm gonna leave." I nodded my head at him. His tie looked even looser than before and his hair was rumpled, as though he got out of bed. His eyes were wide and unfocused, as if he was staring at nothing. But he still looks hotter with every glance I steal.

"Text me later." I said, running my hand down my side. The feel of my phone on my thigh never seemed more reassuring.

He nodded. "Bye."

* * *

After retrieving my missing shoe, I went to the restroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My lips were puffy from making out with him. Ughhh. I hope no one will notice. I can't even think about looking at him again.

I touched my lower lip delicately. That was the hottest kissing I could've ever asked for. To be cliché, it was breathtaking. Honne Dell is the best kisser ever, period.

Without warning, the restroom's door opened and a blonde girl stepped in.

"Neru-chan!" gushed Lily. She's recently taken to calling me that. It's the most irritating name she could have called me, since it's coated with false sweetness.

"Hello, Masuda-san." I greeted indifferently.

"I just came to fix my make up, don't mind me."

I gave my attention to my phone. "Mhmmm."

"Neru-chan! What lip gloss did you use to get your lips that luscious-looking?" she squealed.

"Huh?" I looked at my reflection. True enough, my lips were pinker and still swollen from the kissing. They were larger than their normal sizes. "Oh, I just use a generic lip balm."

"What? Gosh, no wonder Meito-kun likes you so much. You're all naturale!"

Meito? "Oh. Yeah, must be."

Lily began to reapply mascara. "Speaking of which, I didn't see you on the dance floor. Where were you?"

"I went to rest a bit, you know? I had a headache. Probably from the loud music."

"Hope you feel better, Neru-chan." Her voice dripped of faux sweetness.

"Thanks," I replied icily.

"Why don't we go back to the dance together, hmmm?"

I opened the door and tilted my head towards the outside, gesturing for her to leave first.

She smiled her fake smile and walked out. I rolled my eyes at her back.

When we got to the dance floor, my friends were doing some sort of performance on the stage.

"Oh my gosh!" The tall blonde with me squealed," I didn't know Dell-kun could play guitar! He's so cool!"

I frowned. He never told me that he could play bass. He's pretty good too. And the song. It's "World's End Dancehall". This is such a bizarre coincidence that he knows how to play the bass guitar part to that particular song after I told him a few weeks ago that I liked it. I need to remember to ask him about this.

"I'm soooo lucky that Dell-kun is single. Rockers are hot. Dell-kun is soooo much hotter," Lily said.

I rolled my eyes. "Go after him if you want," I said. Then, I unintentionally mumbled, "'cause he's a great kisser."

"What's that?"

I smiled innocently. "Nothing!"

* * *

******Haven't asked a question in ages.  
********Have you ever cosplayed? ********If you had to cosplay as any Vocaloid or UTAU (wig and all), who would it be? Is it a specific outfit (like from a certain song/PV or Project Diva)?  
********I've never cosplayed. But I'd like to cosplay as, without a doubt, Megurine Luka from "Just Be Friends". I plan to cosplay as exactly that at my next anime convention. I think the (strapless) dress is very lovely and I've always wanted pink hair. I have the wig now. It's gorgeous :3**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	34. Chapter 34: Hatsune Miku 5

**Updates on my life:**  
**I still have no computer and Windows 8 pisses me off.**  
**I wanted to sub videos, but haven't had a computer.**  
**I have a ton of projects and essays due for all my classes, including orchestra and band. Final exams are coming up in the next two weeks, so I'm going to update even slower.**  
**I watched the first season of Vampire Knight.**  
**The popular Nico singer/utaite 96neko now follows me on Twitter. My life is made.**  
**The new YouTube and iTunes 11 layout was probably designed by blind people. I hate them.**  
**Thank you for reading my fanfiction and my long author's notes!**

* * *

Chapter 34: Hatsune Miku 5  
Friday, May 5, 8:06 pm. Banquet hall.

Dancing is extremely fun, regardless of if you're dancing with friends or with your date. Even if you're not good at dancing, it's fun. Dancing is about having a good time. That's the main reason I took lessons since I was young.

I sang along to the song that was playing, which was an arrangement and cover of the song "Checkmate".

"I don't want you anymore?" I sang along to the song while making direct eye contact with Kaito. He only smiled at me, but it didn't seem sincere.

After the song ended, I hugged him in thanks for the dance. I then went to get something to drink. I could see that Rin and Len were by the refreshment table as well.

Ever since their announcement of their official coupledom, one couldn't see the the two separately. They're everywhere together, it's kind of annoying. I mean, come on. They've only announced it to us a few hours ago.

"Rin-chan!" I called.

Rin and Len turned around and waved at me.

"Why aren't you dancing with Kaito?" Len asked.

"I'm here to get a drink," I replied, "even dancers get tired." I took a cup of the pre-filled beverage.

Rin asked, "doesn't Kaito get tired?" She nibbled on her cookie.

"I don't know." I took a sip of my drink. It was strawberry lemonade. Hmmm. Needs more leeks.

"Wait." Len pointed to the middle of the dance floor. "Isn't that him over there?"

I scanned the crowd and saw a blue-haired male dancing with a female red-haired stranger. Her back was turned to face us, so it was difficult to identify her. The constant people blocking them made it also a challenge to spot them.

I seethed. Who is this random girl and how dare she dance with my date? I asked Rin and Len through gritted teeth.

"I dunno," they answered at the same time.

I glared at them in silence as I watched them dance. It was a good thing that I didn't have anything in my hands, since I was clenching my fists so hard. My knuckles were turning white and my nails were digging into my palms. I didn't feel a thing.

After what seemed like a century, the song ended. The mysterious girl hugged Kaito. After their hug, he took her hand and kissed it. The beats to the next song began to play. I looked away before I could see them dance together again.

I looked around to see if Rin and Len witnessed the blasphemous act, but they had disappeared. I must not have noticed them leaving during my intense concentration of watching Redhead and Jerk.

Normally, I would have marched over and told them off, but I couldn't. I was too angry. Instead, I walked as calmly as I could to a different side of the dance floor. Once I got there, I grabbed a random guy's wrist and pulled him in with me, to the middle of the crowd.

Once I found a suitable place to begin dancing, I let go of my victim's wrist. I looked up to see who it was.

"Oh!" I quietly said,"Hatsune-kun?" So my victim was Hatsune Mikuo, huh? He looked very confused but didn't question or resist me.

"Let's dance!" I said cheerfully.

We began to dance. I think that the best way to relieve stress is through dance. However, the best way to relieve feelings and emotions is through singing. I sang along with the song and smiled at Mikuo. He smiled back.

We danced for several more songs. Maybe Kaito saw us, maybe he didn't.

The song that began to play was a slow song. We slowed our pace. People who didn't have a partner looked for one or left the floor completely. I put my hands around Mikuo's neck and laced my fingers. He held my waist.

"Thank you for dancing with me," I said. "Also, I'm so sorry for stealing you away so I could dance with you."

"It's okay. I had a great time dancing with you." He smiled warmheartedly. "You're a really great dancer."

I blushed at his smile. "Thanks. You are too." He really was a good dancer.

"Was there a particular reason for you to kidnap me to dance?"

"I don't know; dance now, talk later?

He chuckled. And I responded with a giggle of my own.

"You know, I sort of wanted to ask you to the welcoming ceremony anyway."

I smiled at him brightly. "Really?"

His eyes became dark. "Yeah, but Shion-kun asked you out first."

I said with a frown, "he's done a terrible job of keeping me... Entertained."

"That's what I'm here for."

Mikuo's such a great guy. Why didn't I like him sooner? I rested the top of my head against his shoulder. Well, it's probably because I hardly see him around, and when I hang around boys, I'm always with Kaito.

I frowned. Kaito. I never want to talk to him ever again. If he wanted to kiss me and asked me out to the welcoming ceremony, why did he dance with that girl and kiss her hand? He didn't kiss my hand. I couldn't see her well, but she wasn't a bad dancer. Did he think I danced too weirdly or provocatively? I can't help that, they were currently the popular dance moves.

I shook my worried thoughts away and focused on the current task at hand: dancing with Hatsune Mikuo.

After the song ended, he and I held hands on our way to an empty table. For the rest of the evening, we sat, talked, and flirted. I found out that he likes leeks, green onions, scallions, and spring onions too. He told me that he liked the black dress I chose to wear tonight. It was black with a large, lacy white sash around my waist. I also wore two cute pink butterfly wing hair clips on either side of my head. I also had on small black fingerless gloves, much different from Neru's leather ones.

The welcoming ceremony was about to end soon. I stood up, smoothed my black dress, and gave him a hug. The hug was one that was slightly more than an average friendly-kind.

"I'm so glad that I got to know you better." I said while giving him the hug. "Thank you for keeping me company."

When we pulled apart, Mikuo held my hand. "Do you want to walk with me to the dorms?"

I was about to nod yes, but remembered that I should head on back to Rin and the others. When I thought "others", I thought of Kaito.

"I'm sorry. I'd love to," I pointed my thumb at myself, "but this Cinderella's got to get back to her evil stepmother and stepsisters."

I then realized that Kaito's the one holding me down. He's preventing me from finding love, since obviously he wasn't the one.

He didn't let go of my hand. "I don't want it to be like the Cinderella story." He suddenly sounded very stern.

I giggled at his reference. "Why not?"

"Because the magic fades away and she's forced to live with her evil stepmother and stepsisters."

Well in my case, an evil father.

I shook my head partially from what Mikuo said and from my disturbing thought. "No. It's worth it when her true love comes and they live happily ever after."

His face became hopeful. "So Cinderella and the prince will have a happy ending?"

"All fairy tales end with a happy ending." I nodded.

* * *

**I sort of wanted to use a bit of "Romeo and Cinderella" at the end, but not really. So that's what happened: half-assed "Romeo and Cinderella".  
I also wanted to use the song "Discotheque Love", but I totally missed the opportunity.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	35. Chapter 35: Cryptonization Chat 1

**This time, I thought of doing something new. I had a hard time deciding how to format this chapter. I hope it's easy to read. u_u**

**I know no one their age (around 15-16 years old) types like this, but I really didn't want to type in giggly broken English with many abbreviations.  
Personally, when I hit high school, I tried to type in a manner as formal as possible whether it be text or chat. Not that I always did.**

* * *

Chapter 35: Cryptonization Chat 1  
Friday, May 5, 9:41 pm. Cryptonization chatrooms.

_Akita Neru wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hey Dell. Just so you know, I'm sorry for... You know... I don't even... *sigh*'

shutupandleave:  
'I don't know what to say either... Can we just forget it and carry on with our lives?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Please! Let's do that. Thank you. Also, Rin's on her way to your dorm. She's gonna be there any moment now.'

shutupandleave:  
'You must be psychic. She just arrived. Why is she here? When's curfew anyway?'

* * *

_Kagamine Len wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Weird. Why is Len asking to chat with me? Should I accept?'

shutupandleave:  
'I don't think it'll be that important. If it's a bother to start a new chat on your phone, you can just add him to our chat.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hold on, let me clear our messages.'

shutupandleave:  
'Good call.'

_Kagamine Len has joined the chat._

BananaBoy02:  
'Hello.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hi. What's up?'

shutupandleave:  
'How do you get Rin to stop talking?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Lol, you don't.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Yeah, she doesn't.'

shutupandleave:  
'-_-'

BananaBoy02:  
'When's curfew?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'10 pm.'

BananaBoy02:  
'It's 9:57.'

shutupandleave:  
'Did she come here just to give you a goodnight kiss?!'

BananaBoy02:  
'Actually, no. She came to get her phone back. I had it but forgot to return it.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Awww! She kissed you goodnight? So cute!'

shutupandleave:  
'Banana boy's blushing.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Shut up, Dell.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Rin just got back. She's super happy. And I know why :P'

BananaBoy02:  
'Invite her to the chat.'

shutupandleave:  
'God, please no.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Too late~'

_Akita Rin has entered the chat._

RinandOranges:  
'Hey hey heyyy!'

BananaBoy02:  
'Hi Rin!'

shutupandleave:  
'Hi.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'What's up?'

shutupandleave:  
'Apparently Len and Rin's new relationship status.'

RinandOranges:  
'Don't be jealous :D'

* * *

_Hatsune Miku wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

dancingsamurai:  
'Hello, Hatsune-san.'

princessmiku:  
'Hey Gakupo-kun! Just out of curiosity, why does Luka seem a little distant? I know she was with you for a while during the dance.'

dancingsamurai:  
'I have a strong belief that I know why she feels that way but I do not think it is my place to tell you.'

princessmiku:  
'What? I wanna know!'

dancingsamurai:  
'I am sure that if she feels that it is time to tell you, she will. After all, you are one of her best friends.'

princessmiku:  
'Don't tell me. I think I know what it is. Was there something wrong at the dance? Were the frosting on the cupcakes the wrong flavor?'

dancingsamurai:  
'Hahaha. No. The cupcakes were fine. The entire welcoming ceremony went by excellently, aside from the impromptu concert that you decided to hold.'

princessmiku:  
'Oh, sorry about that. If you guys didn't like it, sorry.'

dancingsamurai:  
'No, I loved it! You are a particularly exceptional singer. But I also did not know that Megurine-san had such a lovely voice as well.'

princessmiku:  
'Luka's actually good at everything except for sports. But aside from that, she's musically gifted, artistically talented, bilingual, and is super smart. Not to mention the fact that she's super nice and pretty! In other words, perfect :D'

dancingsamurai:  
'I agree. She is perfect!'

princessmiku:  
'Wait a second. Rin and Neru are chatting with each other and Len and Dell. Let's join them!'

dancingsamurai:  
'Sure.'

* * *

_Kamui Gakupo wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

shutupandleave:  
'Guys, Gakupo wants to chat with me. I don't feel like starting a separate chat if I'm in the same room as him. Should we let him in the group chat?'

* * *

_Hatsune Miku wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

RinandOranges:  
'So does Miku!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Sure, let them both in. We've got nothing to hide, right?'

_Hatsune Miku has entered the chat._

_Kamui Gakupo has entered the chat._

RinandOranges:  
'Heyyyy~'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hi.'

princessmiku:  
'Heyyyyy! :D'

shutupandleave:  
'Sup.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Hi Miku. Hi Gakupo.'

dancingsamurai:  
'Hello.'

princessmiku:  
'Gakupo-kun, can I ask them about the thing I asked you?'

dancingsamurai:  
'Sure, but I doubt they would know.'

RinandOranges:  
'What?'

princessmiku:  
'Is Luka okay? Does she seem off to you?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'She looks fine to me.'

BananaBoy02:  
'What's wrong with Luka?'

princessmiku:  
'Something Gakupo-kun won't tell me about.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Wait a minute. Rin? Miku? Is she in bed, reading a book? Or is she doing what I think she's doing?'

RinandOranges:  
'Suspicions confirmed XD'

dancingsamurai:  
'What is she doing?'

princessmiku:  
'She's on her phone, texting someone!'

shutupandleave:  
'...and your point is?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'She never does anything like that. She rarely goes on her phone. She hardly texts. Must be important! :O'

* * *

_Shion Kaito wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

TakoLuka03:  
'Hi Kaito.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Hi. So...ummm... I know we're not exactly that close, but...'

TakoLuka03:  
'Is there something you wanted to ask?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'I felt that I can only come to you for this, since Rin is... Rin. And I don't know if Neru would answer me directly.'

TakoLuka03:  
'I see. What is it? And is it a Miku-related question?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Yes. You see, at the dance, I sort of lost Miku. Is she alright? Is she sick? I haven't heard from her since dancing with her for a bit after we performed.'

TakoLuka03:  
'She's fine physically, if that's what you want to know. In fact, she's on her computer. You can ask her through chat too.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'I don't feel comfortable asking her... It's out of character for her to just disappear and not even say goodbye.'

TakoLuka03:  
'I suppose. She didn't tell me anything.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Does she seem off character?'

TakoLuka03:  
'She isn't saying much to us at all. But normally, she'd be all over the place, squealing about how fun the dance was.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'All right. Maybe I'll ask her later.'

* * *

RinandOranges:  
'By the way, how was the dance with Meito-kun?'

shutupandleave:  
'Yeah, tell us. Don't leave out a single detail :D'

princessmiku:  
'Oooh! Yay! Tell us!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'...'

dancingsamurai:  
'Did it not go well?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'...'

BananaBoy02:  
'Neru-san?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Sorry. I didn't intend for anyone to ask.'

shutupandleave:  
'So what happened?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Oh you know, the typical things that happened at school dances.'

princessmiku:  
'Which is? ;D'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'I danced a little then got tired and went to use my phone.'

shutupandleave:  
'Wow. You're so lame.'

BananaBoy02:  
'You made it seem like you're trying to cover up something scandalous.'

princessmiku:  
'What could it be?'

RinandOranges:  
'Don't tell me, you SLOW DANCED with Meito-kun!'

shutupandleave:  
'AHAHAHAHA!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'...'

shutupandleave:  
'LOLOLOL.'

* * *

_SF-A2 Miki wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Hey Kaito-kun!'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Hi.'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Thanks for saving me a dance ;D'

Kaitosicecream:  
'No problem.'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'So what's up?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'What's your favorite ice cream flavor?'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Random much? I don't usually eat ice cream since I have super sensitive teeth, but I like frozen yogurt sometimes.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Bye.'

_Shion Kaito has signed off of this chat._

* * *

_SF-A2 Miki wants to chat with you. Do you accept?_

princessmiku:  
'Are any of you guys friends with SF-A2 Miki?'

RinandOranges:  
'She's in my homeroom.'

dancingsamurai:  
'I have never spoken to her before.'

shutupandleave:  
'Who?'

BananaBoy02:  
'She's this girl with reddish hair with an intense ahoge.'

RinandOranges:  
'Lol XD'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'What do you want to know about her?'

princessmiku:  
'NO, NERU. DON'T FIND INFORMATION ABOUT HER.'

shutupandleave:  
'Don't be creepy.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Sorry.'

* * *

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Hey Hatsune-san!'

princessmiku:  
'Hi! What's up?'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Shion-kun is single, right?'

* * *

princessmiku:  
'WHY DID MIKI ASK IF KAITO WAS SINGLE OR NOT?'

RinandOranges:  
'Maybe it's because she has a crush on him?'

princessmiku:  
'WHAT?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Well, the majority of the girls at this school do...'

dancingsamurai:  
'I apologize if this upsets you, but if I am not mistaken, SF-A2-san asked Shion-san to be her date to the welcoming ceremony before.'

RinandOranges:  
'Yeah. I didn't want to tell you because you'd be really upset.'

princessmiku:  
'WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? I'M SO FREAKING MAD NOW.'

BananaBoy02:  
'She must have been the girl he was dancing with! You know, the redhead?'

shutupandleave:  
'Wait, did you answer her question yet?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Just say you don't know.'

princessmiku:  
'MY LIFE SUCKS! ASDFGHJKL;'

* * *

princessmiku:  
'I don't know.'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Do you think he likes me?'

* * *

princessmiku:  
'SHE HAD THE NERVE TO ASK ME IF I THINK HE LIKES HER. AS IF.'

shutupandleave:  
'Calm down; stop with your all caps.'

princessmiku:  
'Sorry. I just want to scream at this girl!'

dancingsamurai:  
'We can tell...'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Answer her question!'

RinandOranges:  
'Say you don't know again.'

* * *

princessmiku:  
'I don't know that either. Why don't you try asking him yourself? Isn't he online?'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'I started a chat with him, but he signed off the chat ):'

* * *

princessmiku:  
'LOL guys! She started a chat with him but he signed off the chat!'

BananaBoy02:  
'He's on his laptop now, it's not like he's busy or away from the computer.'

princessmiku:  
'LOL!'

dancingsamurai:  
'If Shion-san asked Hatsune-san to the welcoming ceremony, why did he dance with SF-A2-san?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Good point. Does he just dance with everyone?'

RinandOranges:  
'Maybe he's just that overly friendly?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Friendly, my ass...'

shutupandleave:  
'Even though Kaito's flirtatious and really dense, and I mean really really dense, I'm sure he still likes you.'

princessmiku:  
'Wow Dell! That's so nice of you to say!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Dell! You're such a sweetie. :3'

BananaBoy02:  
'AHAHAHAHAHA!'

dancingsamurai:  
'That is the first I have ever heard anyone say that about you.'

shutupandleave:  
'Shut up. Since when was it a big deal to share my opinion?'

RinandOranges:  
'You're such a tsundere! XD'

shutupandleave:  
'...'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'HA. Feels good to be at the butt of a joke, huh?'

shutupandleave:  
'Shut. Up.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Nice comeback.'

* * *

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Do you like him?'

princessmiku:  
'NO.'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'What? Everyone thinks you two like each other!'

princessmiku:  
'You're hearing some weird, incorrect rumors. I've got to go. Bye, Miki-san!'

mikimikiromanticnight:  
'Oh. Okay. See you! Bye!'

_Hatsune Miku has signed off of this chat._

* * *

_Shion Kaito wants to start a chat with you. Do you accept?_

princessmiku:  
'Kaito wants to chat with me! Do I accept?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Yes. You'll find a resolution through communication.'

RinandOranges:  
'Don't. He deserves it, that bastard.'

shutupandleave:  
'For once, I agree with Rin. He's probably gonna claim he did nothing wrong.'

RinandOranges:  
'Hey! D:'

dancingsamurai:  
'You should accept his chat and hear his side of the story.'

princessmiku:  
'Len, your call. Should I accept or not? We're at 50/50.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Accept the chat.'

* * *

Kaitosicecream:  
'Miku?'

princessmiku:  
'Yeah?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Are you sick?'

princessmiku:  
'Huh? No. Why do you ask?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'You just sort of disappeared after you went to get something to drink, so I figured you were ill.'

princessmiku:  
'No, sorry. I saw a friend and decided to say hi. We ended up talking and dancing the entire time. Sorry.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Oh. So you just lost track of time?'

princessmiku:  
'I guess.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Who's your friend?'

princessmiku:  
'He's my secret friend ;)'

Kaitosicecream:  
'HE? WHO IS THIS GUY?'

princessmiku:  
'Not telling. What did you do when I forgot to come back?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'WHO?'

princessmiku:  
'Answer my question!'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Answer mine!'

princessmiku:  
'How about no.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'I'll answer your question if you promise to tell me who you were dancing with.'

princessmiku:  
'My question isn't even that big of a deal.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Fine. I danced, then looked for you. I found Len and Rin and asked them, but they didn't know where you were. So I went back to the dance floor, danced a bit, then went to chill with Dell.'

princessmiku:  
'Who'd you dance with?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'No one in particular. Since there was no slow songs, I just danced whatever with everyone else.'

princessmiku:  
'...'

_Hatsune Miku has signed off of this chat._

* * *

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'What did he say?'

princessmiku:  
'He straight up lied to me.'

shutupandleave:  
'I told you so.'

_Hatsune Miku has signed off of this chat._

* * *

_Megurine Luka wants to start a chat with you. Do you accept?_

RinandOranges:  
'Luka wants to chat with me. Can I add her to this chat?'

dancingsamurai:  
'Yes.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Whoa. Quick response.'

shutupandleave:  
'If we accept her request, do we have to clear our previous chats?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'I don't think she'll actually read that far back.'

RinandOranges:  
'Mmmkay.'

_Megurine Luka has joined the chat._

TakoLuka03:  
'Oh, hello. I didn't think I would be added to a group chat.'

dancingsamurai:  
'Good evening, Megurine-san. :)'

TakoLuka03:  
'Hi Kamui-kun.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Hi Luka.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hey, what are you doing online at this hour?'

shutupandleave:  
'Hi.'

TakoLuka03:  
'I was wondering why Miku was so quiet today and didn't want to ask out loud when she's here.'

RinandOranges:  
'...about that...'

TakoLuka03:  
'?'

BananaBoy02:  
'It's kind of a long story...'

TakoLuka03:  
'? Also, if I'm not mistaken, why is she crying?'

dancingsamurai:  
'Hatsune-san is crying? What could Shion-kun have possibly said to her?'

TakoLuka03:  
'She's crying because something KAITO said? Oh God...'

shutupandleave:  
'You're thinking she's being pathetic, don't you?'

TakoLuka03:  
'Well...'

shutupandleave:  
'Lol.'

RinandOranges:  
'This is a serious matter!'

TakoLuka03:  
'What went on exactly?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Does anyone want to tell her?'

BananaBoy02:  
'So basically, it started during the dance, a bit after you guys performed.'

RinandOranges:  
'Miku took this short break and went to get a drink. She then saw Kaito dancing with this random redhead.'

dancingsamurai:  
'She did not find out who the red-haired girl was until earlier this evening, on chat. It happened to be SF-A2 Miki, the one in our homeroom.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'So this SF-A2 chick actually started a chat with Miku and asked her things about Kaito.'

shutupandleave:  
'Then, Kaito and Miku chatted and she asked if he was dancing with anyone and he lied to her and said he didn't dance with anyone. I know, he's a scumbag.'

TakoLuka03:  
'... I see. Kaito actually asked me earlier if Miku was "okay". He thought she was sick or something. I suppose that's what he came up with for her not speaking to him since dancing with him.'

RinandOranges:  
'Guys? Is said scumbag lamenting?'

dancingsamurai:  
'He is just sitting on the couch, looking at the ground.'

RinandOranges:  
'Close enough.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Luka, are you actually friends with Kaito? I always noticed some sort of tension between the two of you, and you guys don't seem as close.'

RinandOranges:  
'Len! How can you just ask something like that? Of course they're friends!'

TakoLuka03:  
'I don't talk to him all that much... I honestly don't think he likes me that much. But maybe that's because we don't talk often. Actually, I don't speak to Dell-kun as often either.'

shutupandleave:  
'I thought we were friends. :/'

TakoLuka03:  
'We are! Let's talk now then! Don't act so cool and let's converse.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'LOL. Luka-tan, you crack me up XD'

RinandOranges:  
'What are you two waiting for? Talk!'

dancingsamurai:  
'Go on. Make up for lost time; we'll wait.'

shutupandleave:  
'Kay, fine. Hi Luka.'

TakoLuka03:  
'Hi Dell. Did you enjoy the welcoming ceremony?'

shutupandleave:  
'I'm not gonna lie. It wasn't a bad time. You have a nice voice. You and Miku sound good together.'

TakoLuka03:  
'Thank you. You're an excellent bassist.'

shutupandleave:  
'BAM, friendship.'

TakoLuka03:  
'Happy, guys?'

RinandOranges:  
'We'll work on this some more later.'

* * *

_Akita Neru wants to start a chat with you. Do you accept?_

RinandOranges:  
'What?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Rin, don't you think Dell-chan is super cute on chat?'

RinandOranges:  
'OMG. Go out with him already!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Who says I haven't? ;)'

RinandOranges:  
'WHAT?!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'JUST KIDDING! XP'

RinandOranges:  
'What? Don't you like him? Everyone knows that you guys have serious chemistry.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'I think he's cute. He's just my cute friend who plays the bass and smokes cigarettes.'

RinandOranges:  
'So... You're telling me that you like him.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'No, he's a good friend of mine.'

RinandOranges:  
'He likes you too.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'No he doesn't.'

RinandOranges:  
'Suit yourself. I'll tease you two about it later.'

_Akita Rin has signed off of this chat._

* * *

BananaBoy02:  
'Is anyone ever gonna tell Kaito the real reason why Miku's all upset?'

dancingsamurai:  
'You are right. I do not think Hatsune-san told him exactly how she feels about their situation. But I think he deserves to know.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Good point. Miku's probably not gonna tell him either.'

TakoLuka03:  
'So are we gonna tell him?'

shutupandleave:  
'I feel like we're going against Miku's back... The girl needs support, not people ratting her out.'

BananaBoy02:  
'You've gone soft.'

shutupandleave:  
'Tell that to my fist.'

BananaBoy02:  
'No thanks.'

RinandOranges:  
'So who's gonna tell him?'

shutupandleave:  
'Not me.'

TakoLuka03:  
'Definitely not me.'

RinandOranges:  
'Not it!'

dancingsamurai:  
'Me neither.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Not me! Neru! You have to do it!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'No fair! I was checking a different app and missed the "not it"s! Ughhh!'

shutupandleave:  
'And that's why you need to pay attention to group chats. You might end up with a terrible task.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hmmph. Don't worry guys, I'll tell him everything. Just not now, since I want to give him some time to feel bad.'

shutupandleave:  
'Sadist.'

dancingsamurai:  
'I am feeling quite sleepy. I will sign off now. Good night everyone.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Bye Gakupo-kun.'

RinandOranges:  
'Good night!'

TakoLuka03:  
'Good bye. I hope your roommates don't keep you awake. :P'

BananaBoy02:  
'We won't.'

_Kamui Gakupo has signed off of this chat._

BananaBoy02:  
'Is Miku alright?'

RinandOranges:  
':( I think she cried herself to sleep...'

BananaBoy02:  
'Gosh. :/ It seems like a waste to cry over Kaito.'

shutupandleave:  
'She should have seen it; he loves girls and girls love him.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'You were sticking up for her a moment ago!'

shutupandleave:  
'Well, I'm a hypocrite.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Great. I picked a great group to hang around with. We have a hypocrite, sadist, a lovesick puppy, someone with OCD, an overly emotional girl, a playboy, and my hyper girlfriend.'

RinandOranges:  
'I resent that. But maybe that's not a total lie.'

shutupandleave:  
'So you're the only normal one?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Of course.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hey guys, let's play a game. It's called "Point Out Len's Faults" aka "Teasing Time".'

shutupandleave:  
'Cool. I'll start: Len is a little feminine-looking.'

BananaBoy02:  
'HEY!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Speaking of looks, he kinda looks like his girlfriend. O_o'

RinandOranges:  
'He has a shota complex.'

BananaBoy02:  
'NOT YOU TOO!'

RinandOranges:  
'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'

BananaBoy02:  
'You didn't even TRY to beat them.'

shutupandleave:  
'Len, I'm starting to see what you see in Rin.'

RinandOranges:  
'I don't know if that was a compliment or not so I don't know how to react to it.'

BananaBoy02:  
'Me neither.'

RinandOranges:  
'Besides, who said I didn't like your shota-ness?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Stop it!'

RinandOranges:  
':3'

shutupandleave:  
'Ummm... Luka? Are you still here?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'OMG! She fell asleep!

BananaBoy02:  
'AHAHAHA!'

shutupandleave:  
'You guys were right when you said she doesn't stay on her phone this often. She can't handle late-night group chats.'

RinandOranges:  
'Neru-channnn~'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Ughhh what.'

RinandOranges:  
'Can you sign her off the chat and you know, make her presentable for sleep?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Fine. I'm only gonna get out of my comfortable position since I'm closest to her.'

RinandOranges:  
'I love you Neru-channn~ :D'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Get lost.'

RinandOranges:  
'Since Luka's gone, I feel motivated to tease you and Dell!'

shutupandleave:  
'What.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'What. No.'

BananaBoy02:  
'I'll get the popcorn.'

RinandOranges:  
'Dellllll, on a scale of 1-10, how cute do you think Neru is?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Answer that and I may consider ripping your thumbs off.'

shutupandleave:  
'Skip.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Good boy.'

BananaBoy02:  
'How about "how jealous are/were you of Sakine for asking Neru out?'

shutupandleave:  
'Not at all. She can do whatever she likes with who ever she likes.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Stop drilling him with questions!'

RinandOranges:  
'No. What would you do if Neru-chan liked you? ;)'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'SHIT UP ALREADY.'

BananaBoy02:  
'LOL *SHUT AHAHAHAHA'

shutupandleave:  
'HAHAHA'

RinandOranges:  
'Lol! Serious question though. What's a better couple name? Deru or Nell?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Neither.- I'm gonna tell Kaito about Miku. So bye guys.'

shutupandleave:  
'Hope it goes well. I'm gonna sign off too. Bye guys.'

_Akita Neru has signed off of this chat._

_Honne Dell has signed off of this chat._

BananaBoy02:  
'They're no fun.'

RinandOranges:  
'I know, right?'

BananaBoy02:  
'It's getting really late. We should sign off soon.'

RinandOranges:  
'Kay. But quick question: who's Sukone Tei?'

BananaBoy02:  
'Excuse me, what? Who? I don't know.'

RinandOranges:  
'Hmmm. Okay. Bye Len~ 3'

BananaBoy02:  
'Bye Rin :)'

_Kagamine has signed off of this chat._

* * *

_Akita Neru wants to start a chat with you. Do you accept?_

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Hi Kaito. Don't talk, just read what I have to say. You can choose to respond or not after.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Okay?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Miku's REALLY upset that you lied to her about dancing with SF-A2 Miki. She saw you two dancing. She's not sick, but she's heartbroken. But she most likely doesn't want me to tell you this, so don't namedrop.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'... Can I apologize to her ASAP?'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'The thing is, you're not supposed to know that she knows. She'll probably get really mad. So maybe it's best not to confront her about this directly?'

Kaitosicecream:  
'...okay... Thanks for telling me this. I felt-no, feel awful.'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Just... Be good to my Miku-chan.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'I'll do my best. I'm so tired. I'm gonna get to sleep. You're a cute girl, get your beauty rest too!'

GotBoredGoingToBed:  
'Haha. I'll hold you to your word. Alright, bye Kaito.'

Kaitosicecream:  
'Goodnight.'

_Akita Neru has signed off of this chat._

* * *

**Lol. Dell's name is actually pronounced "Deru" in Japanese. Also, someone pointed out that "Nell" would be pronounced "Neru". XD**

**I have acquired a computer, but it won't read any headphone jacks and the sound comes out from the speakers. And the speakers SUCK.**

**I subbed niki's "Jitter Doll" sung by Lily and YuchaP's "Blackjack" sung by Megurine Luka. Check it out on my profile page!**

**Happy Holidays~ My winter break is going along great. I hope yours is. Wanna leave me a Christmas present in the form of a review?**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	36. Chapter 36: Akita Rin 5

**I was suffering from writer's block again. However, I went back and edited ALL of my chapters. I'm going to format my chapter headings differently now. See the difference?**

**I subbed a lot more PVs: "Can You Feel the Purple Truth", the Rin cover of "Tsukema Tsukeru", "7/8", and *blush* "Gigantic O.T.N.". Check them out if you can!**

* * *

Chapter 36: Akita Rin 5  
Saturday, May 6, 1:05 pm. Crypton's largest hill.

It was a cloudy, muggy day. It looked as if it was going to rain. Despite the foul weather, I asked Len to come hang out with me at our hill. I have had a certain fondness for that hill ever since my first kiss on it.

I sat on the grass with my knees to my chest and pulled out my phone. I've been getting extremely weird text messages from someone named Sukone Tei. Because this person is using a blocked number, I can't call or text them back. I think it's just some random troll but I want to be sure.

Blocked number:  
'Hello. My name is Sukone Tei. Please stay away from Kagamine-kun.'

Blocked number:  
'Who do you think you are.'

Blocked number:  
'I'm asking you nicely. Stay away from him.'

Blocked number:  
'You're going to regret not listening to me.'

Suddenly, my eyes were covered by a pair of hands from behind.

"Guess who?" the vision-blocker asked.

I smiled. "Len!"

He took his hands off of my face and sat down next to me.

"Here's a reward for guessing who I was." He leaned over pecked my lips. I couldn't help smile again.

"So what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered, "Well, something."

I showed him my phone with the weird texts. "So who's the troll?"

His expression turned serious. "Just ignore them."

"Do you know who this is?" I put my phone to sleep and turned it over. I squeezed my phone with both of my hands. Maybe if I keep squeezing, Sukone Tei will reveal himself.

He lowered his gaze. I could see his scrunched up eyebrows and wrinkles of frustration on his forehead.

"It's nothing but a troll."

I frowned. "Tell me who Sukone Tei is."

His voice rose. "She's not important!"

I raised my eyebrows. "So who is this "she"?"

"No one important."

I pursed my lips tightly. I shouldn't be too forceful when Len's upset. I can always guilt trip him into telling me. I didn't want to sink that low.

"If she's not important," I mumbled softly, "why can't I know who she is?" I looked down and stared at my phone's back.

"If I tell you, you'll get upset." I felt his arm make its way around my waist. His hand lightly gripped my side.

I looked up to his eyes with my own wide ones. "Try me." I whispered innocently.

He gave my waist a light squeeze and looked off into the distance. "Sukone Tei is my ex-girlfriend."

A wave of jealousy washed over me. A gasp escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

"She's crazy," he said monotonously, "and dangerous."

I asked, "what kind of girls do you date?" I looked at his eyes, but were dark and unfocused.

"She... She'd get really obsessed with something, and if people try to take her obsession away, she'd get violent." He looked down at me. "Really violent."

"And you were her obsession?" I sounded so weak. What's the deal with this Sukone Tei?

He nodded. "I dated her for a while then dumped her before the school year ended last year." I winced when he said "dumped". It's a quite harsh thing to say.

I raised my phone up. "How'd she get my number?"

"The thing is, she's insane. She'd probably do anything to get her hands on her obsession. So she probably stalked me or something and learned that we're dating. She's capable of all sorts of things. Stalking is child's play for someone like her."

I swallowed my spit. "I'm scared." I whispered. "Len, I'm scared." I dropped my phone and looked up at him.

"We're at a school where no one can come in. I'm sure we're safe from anyone, even a maniac like Tei."

"But..."

Len pulled me into a tight hug. "It's okay. What can she do? Hurt you? That's impossible."

I hugged him back slowly and tried to clear my worry.

"Next time you get a message from Tei, tell me, okay? I'll take care of it," he said to my hair, "I'll take care of everything. Don't worry."

"What if... She gets violent... Towards you?" I withdrew from the hug but held on to his hands.

"She wouldn't hurt the person she wants."

I felt another pang of jealousy. I said indifferently, "she loves you, doesn't she."

"I... She... No!" He shook his head with a frown. "No. She calls her obsession "love", but someone like her doesn't know about love."

"Len, anyone has a right to love. Crazy or not, everyone has the potential to fall in love."

"Sure." His tone was bitter and sarcastic.

I decided to lighten the mood. I stood up abruptly. "I'm hungry. Wanna get smoothies?"

He looked at me with a confused look. "Uh-okay." I bent down and grabbed his hand. I pulled him up.

"Have you ever tried the orange-banana flavored ones? They're delicious!"

"Orange and banana? Together?" He shot me a quizzical look. "Are they even good together?"

I nodded. "Mhmm. It's really good. Oranges and bananas go together like this." I twisted my pointer and middle fingers together and raised my hand to show him.

He laughed. "You mean they go together like us." He gave my hand a squeeze. "They're our favorite fruits too."

"It's fate. That smoothie is our fate smoothie." I nodded happily.

* * *

I walked Len over to his dorm after we got our smoothies. Apparently he had an intense video game-related thing that he couldn't afford to miss.

I assume other girls would mind that their boyfriends were obsessed with video games, but I don't mind at all. In fact, I like the fact that he has an interest he's dedicated to. Everyone has their unique personal interests and quirks, so other people should respect that.

I went to my dorm to check if anyone was there. But I doubted anyone being there since we all had plans, even Miku. I opened the door and scanned my room for any signs of life. I was correct; no one's here.

I decided to take this time to doodle. I was suddenly feeling inspired to draw. I grabbed my thick, battered old sketchbook and pencil case from my bag and tossed them onto my bed. I take my sketchbook with me everywhere I have a bag big enough to fit it in. I found it in a small store in Sapporo. It's specifically made for left-handed people, which I'm extremely thankful for. I only have about thirty more pages left in it. I definitely need a new one.

I hopped on my bed and adjusted my body so that I could draw easily. I got comfortable on my stomach with my feet dangling off my bed. I opened my large yellow pencil case to look for my favorite drawing pencil. I found it laying around in the art room on the first day of school and thought it was the best pencil I've had in a while.

I chuckled. Luka absolutely hates it when anyone writes or draws on a bed. She told me that one can breathe in eraser shavings in their sleep. For someone who appears to be reasonable, she can sound quite silly at times.

Much like a how one would look at an old photo album, I went back to look at my drawings. Some of my doodles were anime-like, some were more realistic, and some were doujinshi I drew. Like my middle school art teacher told me to, I didn't tear out any pages from my sketchbook, no matter how terrible I thought it was.

I turned to a random page and came across an anime-like drawing of Miku, Luka, Neru, and me. There was a lot of writing and speech bubbles throughout the page. There was also a lot of decorations like hearts, flowers, and emoticons all over the page. I chuckled as I read some of the writing.

A Luka speech bubble said:  
'Why does my head look so big?! Miku's is so normal-looking'

The reply to Luka's from Neru was right next to it:  
'You mean still very large?'

A Miku speech bubble written in glittery teal gel pen said:  
'Can I copy your history homework?'

I checked the date on the very bottom right: Oct. 14. I always scribble a date on everything. It was a habit I developed from my middle school art teacher.

I forgot what I originally got my book out for and continued to flip around some more.

"Ow!" As I turned that page, I got a paper cut on my finger. For something so small, they always hurt more than larger cuts.

I got up from my bed to get a band-aid. Luka being Luka, had a first-aid kit. When I got up, my pencil case fell off the bed and the contents of it fell out onto the floor.

"Dang it!" I decided to get a band-aid before picking up my stuff. I took a step and ended up stepping on a pen or something. I slipped on it and fell on my butt.

"What the heck is with me?" I angrily cried out.

I ignored the sting from my finger and scrambled to pick everything up and return them to their home. I am having the worst luck today!

_Migikata ni murasaki choucho/Kisu wo shita kono heya no sumi de  
_

Hmmph. My phone decided to interrupt my bad mood. I picked it up without checking who the caller was.

"Hello?"

A monotonous female voice answered, "Hi." It sounded like a recording, not a real person speaking.

"Hi, who's this?"

"Stop."

What? Stop what? Who is this? "Excuse me?"

"Akita Rin, I know who you are."

I checked who the caller was. It was from a blocked number.

"Sukone Tei? You're Sukone Tei, right?" I questioned angrily.

She ignored me. "Don't talk to my Len."

I knew she could hear the panic in my voice. "Why? How do you know me? Who are you?"

"Just stop." How could she sound so calm and indifferent when I'm panicking on the other end?

"Answer my questions!"

"I know all about Len and more importantly, I know all about you."

"You're nuts!" I wanted to hang up, but I needed answers!

"Stop speaking to Len. He's mine."

That's pushing it. "No!"

"You're going to regret it."

"How did you even get my number?"

"Goodbye, Akita Rin." She hung up.

I stared at my phone's blank screen dumbly. What's going on?

* * *

**I know I'm a few days late, but happy new year! I'm stoked for the new year: my local anime convention is in March, the fifth season of Hetalia comes out this month, a rumor said that Kuroko no Basket season 2 is coming this year, and of course, V3 KAITO comes out next month!**

**What are you looking forward to in the new year?**

**And did you listen to the V3 KAITO samples? They're amazing!**

**Also, does anyone have any Korean SeeU song recommendations? I can translate from Korean to English and I want to contribute to the Vocaloid fandom in anyway I can.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	37. Chapter 37: Kamui Gakupo 5

Chapter 37: Kamui Gakupo 5  
Sunday, May 7, 2:41 pm. Freshman dorm's lounge.

After a late lunch with Rin and Len, we decided to relax in the lounge.

Rin and Len's relationship make me a little envious, but I assume that it is only natural. They go together like yin and yang. Although they are dating, it did not affect their relationships with their friends. They still respect their friendships along with their relationship. This makes me admire these two more.

"Gakupo-kun, when students are sick, they're sent off to the infirmary, right?" Rin asked abruptly. "So they won't get their roommates sick too."

I answered, "Yes. Why? Are you feeling sick?"

"Ummm... No. But I know someone that might be?" She said it like it was a question.

"Who is it?"

"I'm not supposed to say, but Luka's sick. Like, super sick." She had a very serious expression. "She doesn't want people to be concerned, so she didn't want us to tell anyone."

My precious Lu- I mean, Luka is sick! Terribly sick! I hope she feels better soon. I can not imagine her sick.

"How silly. She could have just gone to the infirmary without telling anyone," said Len.

I nodded. Surely she must have some reasoning behind why she would not go to the infirmary.

Len whispered something in Rin's ear. She smiled and nodded excitedly.

"Why don't you go check up on her?" the blonde girl asked. "She's all alone in our room, and has been since lunch time."

I would love to pay a visit to Luka. She may need something; whether it be food, water, or even company.

I cleared my throat. "I do not think it is in my place to visit a lady's room."

Len snorted and Rin giggled.

"It's allowed. We'll come with you." Rin got out her key and stood up. She took a step in the direction of the girls' dorms.

Len and I looked made eye contact. He shrugged and I returned a shrug of my own. We followed Rin, who was already walking to the girls' room.

When we got to the door to their room, she did not open the door right away. Instead, she put her ear to the door and knocked three times.

I looked at the room number: 1925. I looked to the dorm to the left of Rin's, expecting 1924. It was not. It was a five-digit number. I wondered why every dorm except for Rin's was five-digits.

Rin unlocked the door and peeked inside. She then opened it wide to allowed Len and me to enter.

Luka looked over at us from her bed and lifted her hand and waved weakly.

"Luka-chan!" Rin called out softy. She walked over to Luka. "You look... Terrible."

She smiled weakly at Rin's comment.

Len and I followed her to Luka's bed. She was sitting up on the bed, with a blanket around her shoulders. Her face looked pale and her hair looked limp.

"She's right," Len agreed, "You look awful."

"Hey..." She said with a low, raspy voice. "I'm feeling better tho-" she then burst into a coughing fit.

I shook my head. "Megurine-san, you are not alright. Please let me take you to the infirmary."

Rin handed her a glass of tea. "It's okay!" she said after taking a large gulp of tea.

"Dude. You sound like Batman." Len was always blunt when it came to serious matters.

Luka smiled. "I do not!" Then she frowned. "Rin, why'd you invite them here? I specifically-" she cleared her throat loudly before continuing, "told you that I didn't want anyone to know that I'm sick."

Len said, "I don't think it's easy to fool people into thinking you're healthy when you look and sound like that."

"Right. Besides, they're our friends too," Rin answered, "They have the right to know when their friends are sick and being too stubborn to get better properly."

Luka pouted. "You know, this is the first time we've had any guys over. I'm glad I always nag Rin on cleaning up after herself."

Rin sat on Luka's bed. "Are we really gonna say embarrassing things about each other now?" she asked playfully.

"Good point. Let's stop before it gets out of hand."

I realized that Len and I were standing awkwardly at the side of Luka's bed.

"So how long do you guys plan on staying here?" she asked bluntly. "Because I'm tired and I want to take another nap."

"Let's get going now!" Rin hopped off the bed and grabbed Len's hand. "Good night, Luka! Hope you feel better in time for dinner!" she called while dragging Len to the door.

I followed them after saying goodbye to Luka.

Rin scrunched up her eyebrows and frowned at me when we were at the door.

"Didn't you need to say something to Luka?" She put emphasis on 'need'.

"I did?" I stared at her dumbly.

"Yes!" Before I could do anything, she pushed my back away from the door and back into the room so she could close the door. The door closed and I was left in the room with Luka.

From behind me, Luka started coughing again. I rushed over to her bed. I handed her her cup of tea. She nodded in gratitude and took it.

"What did you need to tell me?" she asked after clearing her throat.

"Nothing at all."

"Did Rin push you in here to force us together?

I mentally thanked Rin. "I am not sure. But I would like to keep you company. Being sick and alone sounds dreadful."

"I was by myself for the majority of the time I was sick..." She cleared her throat again. For a second, I can swear she blushed. She pointed at a desk. "Go grab a chair. Standing looks uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Megurine-san." I went to the desk she pointed at to take the chair in front of it. It was easy to guess that she used this desk most often; I have never seen a desk so organized and immaculate. There was not a single loose paper or pencil. Everything was in its place.

I got the chair situated next to her bed. Then she admitted that she was quite bored.

"I want to read, but I can't. When I see the little words on paper, I get major headaches from trying to read them. Going on the computer is even worse. Probably because I have to stare at a lit screen. But I couldn't ask Rin and the others to stay with me since they have lives and I don't want to get them sick."

"It is alright. I am here. We can chat now so I can save you from your boredom."

"I don't want you to get sick either..." She started coughing again.

"It is alright. I promise I will not get sick." I smiled kindly.

She smiled back. My heart melted. "Okay. Thank you."

I watched her reposition herself on her bed. Her bed had light pink sheets with small white polka dots. It was cute and childlike. I chuckled internally.

She was now sitting with her back against her bed's headboard with the support of many pillows. Her pink blanket lay over her stomach and legs.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked. I definitely wanted to keep her mind off of being ill.

I could not think of a topic. Then she giggled and said, "You always look up when you don't know what to say!"

"Huh?" I never noticed.

"I guess it's just something I noticed after hanging around you so much." She took another sip of her tea.

I smiled. "I am sure you have quirks that you do not know about too."

She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

I have her a once-over. "You only paint your nails the same color. They are never unpainted either."

She looked at her nails. "You noticed that?"

I nodded.

"I have a mild obsession with my nails looking perfect all the time." She kicked her blanket and peeked her toes out of it. "I even paint my toenails the same too." Her raspy voice neither sounded sick nor like Batman, but it made her sound more mature and seductive.

"Why do you have them painted all the time?"

"No reason at all. I really don't know why." She looked down. "You must think I'm weird. I'm overly clean and such a neat freak."

"Not at all. A sense of organization is an important and useful trait, Megurine-san."

She nodded. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. "I wish you'd stop calling me that. Just call me Luka. Because you're so polite and respectful, I feel the need to call you Kamui-kun all the time. Not that I mind or anything, but your first name is shorter to say than your last name and..." She trailed off and did not finish her sentence.

"But..." I swallowed. "If that is what you wish."

She giggled. She asked nervously, "Can I call you Gakupo?"

My heart skipped a beat when she said my name. "Yes." Call me whatever you wish.

"Now that we got that settled..." She looked at me, most likely to think of another topic to talk about. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

I shook my head. "I have never had feelings for another girl until I met you."

She facepalmed. "When you say things like that, it embarrasses me! Especially now, since I'm sick in bed and you're in our room!"

I bit my lip to prevent my chuckle from escaping. "I am sorry. But... You look so cute when you are embarrassed." She blushed.

"Fine! Whatever!" Her blush would not leave her face.

She looked down. "Y-you're cute too," she said softly, "when you tell me those sweet things."

"You are too kind, Luka."

She looked at me suddenly. "You called me Luka!" Her eyes were wide and a large smile was on her face. "Thanks!"

Unfortunately, I could lot say anything before another cough fit attacked her. I refilled her tea from the large thermos on her bed stand.

"Are you sure you really do not want to go to the infirmary? I can take y-"

"No! I'm fine."

I reached for her forehead and felt how warm she was. She was burning up.

"I strongly think you should! You are extremely hot."

"I just need to... Take a nap. But I don't want to. My body wants a map but my mind doesn't."

I wore a worried expression on my face. I sighed. "If you wish. But why do you not want people to know that you are sick?"

She answered simply, "I really really don't like it when people are concerened over me. I'll just suffer in silence while everyone else is enjoying their lives."

Despite her innocent answer, I could not help but receive a bitter connotation from it.

After a moment of awkward silence, she requested something from me. "Say something. Anything. I like hearing your voice."

I could not help smile at her. I racked my brain for something to say. Then I blurted, "Why is your dorm number only four digits?"

"You're so observant." She teased, "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

"And our dorm number is like that because when they made these rooms, they forgot a digit. Kinda funny, right?" Luka smiled fondly. "Rin took it as a sign; since there are four digits and four of us, it's good luck."

How sweet. "That is a very sweet way to look at things."

"Sometimes..." She didn't finish her sentence.

"Sometimes what?"

"Sometimes I wish I was as sweet as my friends," she admitted, "They're so cute and carefree all the time."

I opened my mouth to speak. I was cut off. "I over-analyze everything. Sometimes I wonder what it's like being friends with someone as boring as me. Neru's not always sweet, but she's blunt and honest. She attracts people with her attitude. I can't-"

"I am sorry for interrupting, but you should not compare yourself to others, especially your friends. You are all different and they- we like you for who you are."

I continued, "You really are sweet and cute. Just not always in the same way as Miku and Rin. You do not need to be like anyone else for others to like you."

"Oh. Oh dear. Umm... Thank you." She shook her head. "What am I even saying? Why did I tell you all that?"

I sat there, confused.

"I'm gonna, ummm... Blame my cold for blurting my insecurities to you. But you just... I feel like I can trust you, you know? I can tell you anything without feeling guilt or major awkwardness."

"Thank you, Luka." Her cheeks were pink, partly from feeling cold and her blush.

"I think you should rest now. You said you were tired earlier." I stood up to leave.

"Wait." I felt her hand grab mine. It was clammy from her being sick. "Can you stay here until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone," she added quietly.

"Alright." I doubt I can reject such an innocent request from Luka. I sat back down and watched her settle into bed. She still has not let go of my hand.

I quietly muttered, "I hope you feel better, Luka. It doesn't feel right for you to be sick." I gently rubbed her hand with my thumb. She squeezed my hand back. My heart rate pleasantly sped up.

I took another look around her spacious room. It was certainly different from ours. Their's was decorated with various posters. Books filled the shelves and trinkets and plush toys could be found everywhere. Above one bed, which I easily distinguished as Rin's, had posters on the ceiling of various anime and manga.

Where our room had presumably a store's inventory worth of video games and consoles, a desk was dedicated to wires and cords, a large laptop, a printer, hard drives, CDs and other things a tech junkie might like. I had a safe bet that all of it belonged to Neru.

A cork board was almost completely covered with pictures of the girls. Some looked like they were from when they were quite young and some were from the carnival and circus.

"Mmm... Gakupo... Nnnn..." I heard Luka murmur.

"Yes? What is it?" I quietly asked.

She was talking in her sleep. She muttered something incoherent and the only word I could distinguish was "please".

I moved her limp pink hair away from pale face. I slid her hand back under the covers. I made sure she was warm and comfortable.

"Good night. Please get better, Luka," I whispered. I bent down and kissed her forehead lightly.

I opened the door, locked it, and took another look at her sleeping form. "Good bye," I uttered before leaving.

* * *

**Gakupo couldn't resist giving Luka a kiss. I don't think I can handle this sugary sweet fluff I write! I'm not a cute, sweet person in real life! Where do I get the ideas for this? XD**

**Hey guys! I need to promote my friend here, JubyPhonic P on YouTube. She sings English covers of (mainly) Vocaloid songs. Her voice to me is quite refreshing. I collaborated with her and subbed two of her latest covers, "Witch Hunt" and "The Game of Life". Check them out on my profile!**

**I also subbed the sequel to "Tokyo Cyber Detective Brigade" (which I subbed months ago), "Impulse x Pandemonics". Check them out too!**

_This chapter was last altered on January 4, 2013._


	38. Chapter 38: Honne Dell 5

**I have to say: my social life is going AWESOMELY as of late. But unfortunately, my internet life is neglected when my social life is going well. This includes anything and everything I do on the internet, including updating chapters and subbing PVs.**

* * *

Chapter 38: Honne Dell 5  
Sunday, May 7, 6:24 pm. Behind the gym.

It's never good to dwell on the past. If there is a resolution that one so-desperately seeks, then he or she should accept it and move on. Living in the past means you can't move on to the future. The past already happened. The future is still unwritten. The only way to have a decent future is to look forward to it and ignore the past.

I lit the last cigarette in my pack. I brought it to my lips and took a drag. I seriously need to quit this habit before I get caught. I've been going through so many in the last three days.

Akita Neru is nuts. She's crazy. My best friend is insane. There is no such thing as friends who just make out and continue with their lives as if it didn't happen. How could you? It's not like kissing like that without emotion behind it is possible.

Them again, I could never guess what she's thinking. Not to mention that she asked to ignore it and move on. I have this feeling that if I don't let it go, we'd be treading on uncomfortably thin ice for a long time. I refuse to let myself be uncomfortable with her, like I'm not already.

I gasped. My chest felt tight and heavy. I took the cigarette out of my mouth and stared at it. It's a safe bet that I'm going to get lung cancer soon. That's probably why my chest hurts. But I can't help when I feel stressed.

I like all of my friends. I really do, even if it doesn't seem like I show it. I care for all of them and am glad that they'd put up with me. I'm even pleased about the new friendships I have with Rin, even though we're very different people. In a way, she reminds me of Kaito. And Kaito and I are buds.

I never showed a lot of care or affection for any of my friends before I became close with Neru. She's my first and only close female friend. I think she has a positive affect on me. I started to talk to more people and don't turn away from people as easily. I honestly treasure my friendship with her a lot. Our friendship is something I cherish and am grateful for.

But we go through weird cycles and bumps in our friendship. We'd be the best of friends, but then something awkward happens and we'd stop talking completely. Having these odd short breaks between contact is weird. During those times, I sort of let myself talk to other people or just relax and think. But I sometimes miss her.

When we do get along, a lot of our conversations aren't face to face and when we do see each other in person, we're often in a comfortable silence. We talk a lot in person, but just being near her and being able to see her makes me feel... I don't know how to describe it. She makes me feel better. It's almost a calming, reassuring, and good feeling.

Now that I think about it, it'd be kind of cool if she liked me more than friends. I can imagine her being uncomfortably shy, stuttering a little, and blushing. Then again, I'm probably imagining an anime character. Despite her sassy and snappy attitude, she's very cute and delicate.

But there is one fault with Akita Neru that many people may not realize. To me, it's not always considered a fault, but I can say that it has landed her in awkward situations before. Her fault is her impulsive nature. She seems cool, calm, and collected all the time, but that's not always the case. Since she's impulsive, she doesn't think things through all the way. Look at her mess with Meito.

Look at her mess with me. We've gone and made out, all in the heat of the moment! And what then? She just ran away after realizing what she did! Couldn't she have possibly thought of the possible consequences of doing that? I can't bear to even look at her without thinking of kissing her mouth.

Another pained gasp escaped from my throat. Due to the gasp, I ended up choking on my cigarette. I coughed for about a full minute while trying to ignore the pain in my chest. I need to see a doctor or something before I just keel over and die.

Once I regained the ability to breathe normally, I sat against the gym's wall. The pain in my chest was still there, but it was dull enough for me to ignore.

My cigarette butt was about a foot away from me on the ground. I watched the little smoke come out from the still-lit end as I breathed heavily. In the entirety of my minor heart attack, Neru didn't leave my mind. Akita Neru sure does have a strong impact on me.

Now that I think about that kiss again, is realize that it's my fault. I kissed her cheek first. She's the type of person who wants to one-up others. I realized what she was doing, but I didn't stop her. I knew that a small part of me wanted to kiss her. So I welcomed it knowing that we'd have an unmendable and awkward friendship afterwards.

I grabbed at my heart, the most painful part of my chest. I felt my pulse. It seemed faster than it should be.

Neru is so small and fragile. I won't be able to forget how fit on my lap perfectly. During the kiss, I didn't want to let go of her. I don't remember wanting to stop kissing her mouth while we made out. Just one touch from her made me want to bend to her will.

I hit mentally punched myself in the face. I facepalmed in real life instead. Don't think these kinds of thoughts, Dell. She's your best friend. Isn't that like a sister? No. The relationship I have with Haku seemed entirely different that the one I have with Neru.

I don't feel like talking to her anytime soon. The last time we've spoken was the night of the kiss, via chat. We agreed that we're just going to ignore what happened. But how can you let such a major thing like that pass by? I couldn't think of a better solution, so I just accepted her idea. It seems like the only thing we can do right now.

I've never had this odd pain in the area of heart before. It really hurts now. Almost as bad as earlier. This is the first time. I hope it goes away and it's just a temporary thing my body's going through. I'll lay off the cigarettes for a while.

I'm just going to let the time apart from Neru heal our wounds. Our mistake won't fix itself with just time, but I think it's best to have time off from each other.

I shouldn't think about this anymore. The only way to somewhat fix my friendship with Neru is to ignore the kiss and simply wait until the right moment to approach her again. After all, it's never good to dwell on the past.

* * *

**What's wrong with Dell? I hope he doesn't "just keel over and die" X_X**

**This is the first time I've written a chapter with no dialogue. And all I do is dialogue.**

**I subbed JubyPhonic P's English cover of "Remote Control". Check her out; the link to it is on my profile.**

**Do any of you guys listen to Utaites/Nico singers or Youtaite/YouTube singers? If so, who are your favorites?  
I'm currently in love with KanzentaiCell/Kanseru's voice. I think it's so sexy.**

_This chapter was last altered on January 27, 2013._


	39. Chapter 39: Megurine Luka 5

**I apologize for my long absence. I've been busy with school, prom, and my local anime convention last week. My spring break is also very busy. I also got started on another small Vocaloid fanfiction. If I ever complete it, I'll be sure to upload it here to share with you. Despite my busy life and new fanfiction, I will assure you that I have not neglected this story at all!**

* * *

Chapter 39: Megurine Luka 5  
Wednesday, May 10, 12:17 pm. Calculus class.

I missed class on Monday but was able to come to class yesterday. The downsides to being sick were that I was awfully bored with myself and all the late work I have to catch up on. Surprisingly, I didn't have much work to catch up on for calculus class, which I was most worried for.

I smiled to myself as I copied the equation from the board to my notebook. Well, how can I fall behind in this class when Gakupo and Len came over on Monday after school to teach me everything? I'm so lucky that I have such good friends.

Gakupo in particular is so kind and considerate. He kept me company when I was sick and alone. It's something that he'd do, but I can't get over the fact that he did it. Simple courteous actions like his are relatively unfamiliar to me.

My intense note-taking was disturbed by the quiet noise of my phone's vibration. I normally shut off my phone in class, but ever since this school year, I've developed a habit of leaving it on silent mode during class hours. It hardly matters, since I hardly receive any phone calls or next messages.

I pretended to get my pencil case from my bag and sneaked my phone to my lap. Without taking my eyes off the board, I opened my stupidly old flip phone and opened the text message I received. I discreetly read it.

Akita Rin:  
'Why isn Len andwrib his phin?'

I blinked at it in confusion. I hope Rin knows that it's okay to type with fingers, not with her feet. I took more notes down and sent a quick reply.

Megurine Luka:  
'What.'

Akita Rin:  
'LOL! I meant, why isn't he answering his phone?'

I looked over at her boyfriend, who was sitting right next to me. He was reading manga under his desk.

Megurine Luka:  
'That's better. He's busy taking notes. Ask him during lunch. We have lunch next you know.'

I'm glad I sit close to the back and that my teacher is the type of teacher who just lectures and writes things on the board without paying much attention to the class.

Akita Rin:  
'It's super important!'

I rolled my eyes. She thinks everything is "super important".

Megurine Luka:  
'You're going to get me in trouble. Talk to him later!'

I shut my phone off and put it back in my bag.

The rest of class went by normally. As we were packing up for lunch, I told Len that Rin needed to speak to him.

"What? Why?" When he replied, he didn't bother to mask the worry on his face.

"I don't know. We'll see her at lunch so ask her about it then."

I grabbed my bag and walked with Gakupo to the door. I looked back at Len standing at his seat, immersed in his cell phone.

"C'mon. Lunch," I reminded.

He nodded without looking away from his phone. "Sure thing."

In the entire time we walked to the cafeteria, Len didn't look up from his phone.

"What's up with him?" I asked Gakupo.

He answered, "I was going to ask the same."

When we got to our regular table, I noticed that Neru and Rin weren't there. Neru's often skipping lunch or eating somewhere else, so I didn't take much note of her absence. However, Rin wanted to talk to Len but wasn't there.

"Where's Rin?" I asked to no one in particular as I sat down.

"She was pulled out during the beginning math class for something," Kaito answered. "I don't know about much though. She had to take her stuff and everything. Maybe she got into trouble."

I shook my head. "I doubt it. She was texting me."

I stood up to buy my food. I decided to eat a sandwich and yogurt for lunch. Gakupo came with me to the lunch line.

"Are you worried about Rin? I am sure she did not get into any trouble."

I smiled at Gakupo. "I guess my face told you what I was thinking about, huh?" I paid for my food and waited for him to buy his.

"Yes." He chuckled.

"I hope she's gonna eat lunch. I have doubts that she's going to eat for some reason."

"I am sure she will," he reassured.

When we got to our table, Len was shouting into his phone.

"Hello? Hello? Where are you? Where's Rin?"

He slammed his phone on the table. He let out an exasperated cry, "I know why Rin was taken out of class but I don't know why I can't talk to her."

"Bro, just chill out," Dell said, "she's not gonna leave the school or anything, right?" Len nodded. "Exactly. So just chill."

"Who is she with?" Miku swallowed a bite of leek bread. I wrinkled my nose at her lunch. Miku's leek bread is a truly gruesome bread. It's terrible-tasting.

Len ignored Miku's question and looked at directly across the table, at Kaito.

"Tei," he whispered.

Kaito licked his raspberry ice cream. "Huh?"

"Tei." He nodded once before repeating it.

Kaito dropped his ice cream. Gakupo and Dell froze.

"Tei? As in, Sukone Tei?" Dell asked for verification.

The blond nodded. "Tei."

Miku and I stared at each other dumbly. "Who?"

"Sukone Tei is... Here? With Rin? Our Rin? Akita Rin? Now? How? Why?"

Miku's eyebrows furrowed. "Can you guys please fill us in?"

She was ignored by Len again. "Tei... Tei was texting me all last class. She transferred here."

"Can someone please tell us who this Tei is?"

Gakupo cleared his throat. "Sukone Tei is-"

"Insane!" Kaito interrupted. "She's Len's crazy ex-girlfriend from middle school."

Dell nodded. "They dated for nearly two years or something."

"Two years? I never thought Len would be so... Experienced!" Miku gasped.

Kaito chuckled. "They only broke up recently. That girl was devastated."

"She was holding him down. She was clingy, overbearing, and like a mom. She wouldn't even let him hang out with us sometimes." Dell frowned.

"She's a scary one, that one."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She's pretty much a stalker. And gets jealous super easily. She's terrible."

The table gave Len pitiful gazes. His arms were folded on the table with his head down and face hidden from view.

"There are so many stories we can tell about this girl, "Kaito casually said. "Where to begin?"

"Remember that one time she took all the other girls' shoes from the shelves and hid them on the school roof?" Dell reminisced.

Miku cocked her head to the side. "Why'd she do that?"

"To make sure that no one else could walk with him after school."

Kaito's expression turned serious. "Remember the time when she was suspended for a week?"

"Why?" I asked.

"She threw a chair at some girl when Len lent her his science notes. She is so much stronger than she looks. Her strength is almost superhuman."

My eyes grew wide at Kaito's explanation. Rin!

"If Rin is Len's girlfriend, Tei would do crazier and more violent things than throwing chairs, wouldn't she?"

Kaito blinked. "I hadn't thought about that exactly..."

"Yes she would." Dell simply answered.

"Get Tei out of here! She's crazy!" Miku cried.

"Maybe she has mellowed now? It has been a couple months since we last saw her." Gakupo tried to remain positive.

I nodded hopefully. For Rin's sake, I hope she calmed down.

* * *

**The convention was AMAZING. I'll share some Vocaloid fun that I had: I went to a sort of rave with guest DJ HachioujiP/8#Prince! It was probably one of the best nights of my year. My convention also had a live Vocaloid concert. My only regret about this convention was that all of my readers weren't able to have fun with me.**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	40. Chapter 40: Kagamine Len 5

**Thank you for keeping up with a fanfiction that's this long (although, my chapters are quite short). Thank you for being patient with me, since I don't update regularly.**

* * *

Chapter 40: Kagamine Len 5  
Wednesday, May 10, 7:57 pm. Lounge room.

I had tried to separate myself as much as possible from everyone else in the lounge. I didn't want people to disrupt me when I was thinking of Rin and Tei. I was sitting in an armchair in a corner of the room, furthest from the door.

I haven't been able to get a hold of Rin all day. It's 8 o'clock and she isn't back yet. Is she hurt? What did Tei do to her? Is she drugged? Poisoned? Tortured? I swallowed nervously. Is Tei capable of murder? I wouldn't doubt it.

I was thinking of that madwoman of an ex-girlfriend all day. First of all, how did Sukone Tei- of all people, Sukone Tei- get into this school? Crypton Academy is a private school. Private schools don't just take in new students that often. She wasn't the incredible brainiac or athlete. I would remember if she had talents in performing or visual arts, and she didn't. Now that I look back, she's so mediocre compared to everyone at this school. She wasn't extraordinary at all. Did she pay her way in?

And the most important question: is Rin alright?

Two female voices disrupted my thinking. One sounded quiet and shy but the other was excited.

"Len?"

"Len!"

I looked up to see Rin- thankfully unharmed- and none other than Tei.

"Rin!" I opened my arms to embrace her in a hug, but the wrong girl hugged me instead.

"I missed you, Len!" the pale-haired girl squealed.

Rin and I shared an awkward look. She seemed like she was forcing herself to smile at us. But really, who would be happy to see her boyfriend hug his ex-girlfriend?

I didn't hug Tei back so my arms were awkwardly sticking out. I think Tei was trying to strangle me.

"We have so much catching up to do! But first things first: I convinced Leon to let me transfer here!" Uhhh, who's Leon again?

"Please let go of me." She released me from the suffocating hug but snaked her arms around my right arm. Disgusting. I guess Rin felt the same way, since her face looked as if she ate something sour and unappetizing.

"Sukone-san, it's getting late," Rin politely said. "We should head back to our dorms. You haven't even met your new room members yet."

I felt my lower eyelid twitch. I've never heard Rin call a fellow student by their last name. What kind of person is Tei that she is able to change my girlfriend's way of speech?

"No!" Tei whined, "No! No! No!" I felt her grip on my arm tighten. "I haven't got to spend a single moment with Len-kyun!"

Rin and I looked at each other. Our faces both shared the same look of exasperation.

"Yeah, it's late..." I nervously mumbled.

"Hmmph." Tei looked up to me and pouted. "But we'll see each other tomorrow, right?"

I looked at Rin again. She shrugged slightly.

"Maybe? We're not in the same classes, so I'm not even sure."

The red-eyed girl smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Len-kyun!" She hugged me tightly before running off to her dorm. Rin and I stared at her back as she ran off.

"So..." I started.

"Len..." Rin said at the same time as me. We chuckled mirthlessly.

I grabbed her wrist and sat back down. She was brought down onto my lap. She let out a startled "oh!" but quickly adjusted herself so that her left side was facing me. Her back was supported by the armchair's arm rest and my hand.

She put her left hand on my right shoulder. I noticed that she was blushing lightly. "Len..." She's so cute!

"How was she? A psychopath?"

"Actually, she's pretty nice and sweet overall."

I scoffed. "You're kidding."

She chuckled. "But she has this obsession with you. She keeps mentioning you in every other sentence."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Ughhh..."

"Uhhh... She's very polite when she wants to be-"

I stopped her from continuing. "No one is forcing you to say nice things about my ex."

The small blonde let out a sigh. "I hope she doesn't talk to me tomorrow. I had to show her around school and stuff all day. I ate lunch and dinner with her too! Like, really. Couldn't she have been off on her own like a normal student?"

I grinned. "So you and Tei don't get along?"

"Is she going to third wheel with us?"

My eyebrows scrunched in an upset manner. "Um. No."

"Yeah, so no." I smiled at her answer.

"Oh, wanna know something funny?" Her eyes told me that that something wasn't that funny. "I've had the worst luck today."

I raised my eyebrows. "How so?"

"Just today, I spilled my orange juice in the morning- all over my breakfast, tripped over someone's foot, got caught with my phone- that never happens, my phone's battery literally exploded and the chemicals in the inside leaked out, was too late for real dinner and had to eat only desserts, and missed the new episode of a TV show I wanted to see." She raised a finger for each unlucky event and showed her end result to me.

She raised another finger. "Of course, out of all the people in my class, I had to show Tei around."

She raised two more fingers. "She ended up in my homeroom and we're in the same level math, meaning the same class for math."

I kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm sorry for the bad luck. A third of it has to do with Tei. She's not your lucky person to be around."

"I don't know, I just... I'm fed up with today. And I have to go back to class tomorrow and see Tei's smiling face again. I'm so glad she's not in my dorm!"

"Why didn't someone from her dorm show her around? Wouldn't that have made more sense?"

"Her room members are Gumi, IA, and Yukari. Their room was the only one with an available spot. But they're all in your class!"

I would have said that one of them could show Tei around, but that would mean that she would be in my class. Not cool. "I'd rather deal with Tei being in my class instead of her giving you a hard time in yours."

Rin ignored her blush and smiled. "As if I'm okay with my boyfriend and his ex being in the same class together without me."

I frowned. "Do you think I'll like her again or something?"

"Oh God no. I just don't want her to make any moves on you. That's so ew."

"So you weren't the only one who wanted to gag when she grabbed my arm? If she was squeezing it any tighter, I would have lost blood circulation there."

"About that..." Rin looked down. "I'm sorry. I wanted to stop her. But I just couldn't. She makes me feel, I don't know, trapped? Like, my real self is trapped and unable to do or say what it wants to. It's scary."

I frowned again. "That's what Kaito once told me too."

"She's kind of scary," Rin confessed. I wanted to comfort her, but I just didn't know how.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot." I shrugged. But what can you do about a madwoman?

* * *

**The reason I even thought about bringing Tei into this story is simple: I really like her!**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	41. Chapter 41: Shion Kaito 5

**Let's take a break from all that Tei.**

* * *

Chapter 41: Shion Kaito 5  
Friday, May 12, 3:52 pm. Library.

I'm currently cooped up in a freezing cold library, trying to learn the math I was supposed to have learned in class today. Unfortunately, it takes me twice as long to understand math as a regular person. Math is definitely my slowest subject, and I hate it. I was supposed to get help for math but my friends were all busy. Gakupo had a club meeting, Len went off with Tei and Rin, and Dell went...wherever Dells went on Friday afternoons.

Speaking of Friday afternoons, why'd I even bother with starting the homework early? I have the entire weekend to do it! I made a sour face. This weekend was the weekend dedicated to working on the history project that I was procrastinating on.

I sighed quietly. I really shouldn't have asked someone to help me. I'd rather have struggled and copied someone's homework (maybe Rin's) later. I decided to let my mind wander from my math homework for a moment.

Why am I even doing this?

This isn't right.

I'm the worst friend ever.

This isn't the right time.

I can't do this.

I thought she didn't even like me.

Or I thought I didn't like her.

Or maybe I thought we just didn't like each other all that much.

Why?

I mentally shook my head of its thoughts and looked to my left. At my left was none other than Megurine Luka. I had asked her for homework help during history class. She looked surprised that I came to her for help, but agreed. She was easily one of the smartest people I've met. It only seemed natural for me to ask her.

But true, we weren't that close as friends. And true, I was originally supposed to help Gakupo win her heart. Of course, that was a flop when I learned of her true self. She was pretty much loveless.

But I had to admit, if I was judging her based solely on looks, she was a ten! Honestly, she was looking especially fine today. Her pink hair was in a sleek high ponytail and made her look more mature. Her reading glasses rested low on her nose and it made her look sexier, not dorkier. Her outfit wasn't bad to look at either. She wore a light blue and white pinstriped button down with the sleeves rolled up and tucked into a pair of white denim shorts. Her curves made her outfit so much nicer to look at. The top two buttons of her top were unbuttoned, which was fine normally, but since we were sitting so close to each other, I could peek down her shirt if I wanted. Not that I would; I wouldn't sink that low.

"...and you find the slope." I snapped out of my daze to hear Luka jabber away in cryptic math language.

"Uhhh... Thanks." I nodded and began scribbling the work to the problems down. I mentally punched myself for checking her out.

"No problem." She went back to her own set of math homework, which looked more difficult than one can imagine. Well, she was in two years of math ahead than me.

Aside from the occasional questions I asked, we finished our math homework in silence. Well, I finished mine but Luka still had a few problems left. Higher math meant more math homework. I am definitely not looking forward to senior year. With an internal smirk, I decided it was the best time I bother her.

"Luka, how's Rin dealing with Tei? Len's been in a foul mood since Wednesday."

She didn't put her pencil down but looked up at me. "She's been in a bad mood too, since she can't openly see Len anymore unless Tei tags along."

She's like the third wheel no one wants. "I see."

She tried to start back up on her homework again, but after attempting one problem, she gave up. She took her glasses off and rested them at the top of her head.

"Never mind this," she grumbled. Her eyes focused on mine. I felt like melting from the direct eye contact. "How are things between you and Miku?"

I wasn't expecting that question. "We haven't been talking all that much," I quietly admitted.

"She... She doesn't talk about you. You don't like her in that way anymore, do you?"

I answered with the same amount of calmness as Luka. "I guess I don't." Truthfully, I haven't thought about it that much.

"Do you like anyone right now?"

I shrugged.

She raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"It's just a small crush and I know I have no chance."

"I know it's not appropriate for me to ask, but can I ask who it is?"

"Nah, it's not inappropriate." I shook my head and looked down.

I mumbled, "It's you."

I looked up to see her eyes wide. Her mouth was shaped like an O out of surprise. I then noticed how smooth and pink her lips looked.

"You're joking, right?" she whispered. "Even when you really know about the kind of person I am?"

I leaned in and playfully tugged on a lock of hair from her ponytail behind her. Her upper lip twitched slightly but she let my flirtatious act pass.

"Nope. Not joking." I popped the P as I said it. "And I know how you feel about love and romance. But it's just a tiny little crush. Ignore it and it'll go away."

"Oh... Ummm... Yeah... I... Uh..." she tried form coherent sentences but failed each time.

"But you have a thing with Gakupo, don't you?" I said softly.

Her eyes snapped back into focus. She no longer looked confused. "No I do not." Yup, that's the Luka I know.

"So... If this crush of mine develops into something more, it's okay, right?"

"I suppose." She shrugged. "But isn't there some sort of male code? Like you're all friends and two guy friends can't like one girl?"

I chuckled. I'm Kaito Shion. I like a lot of girls and date them regardless who likes them. "I haven't exactly run into this problem before."

I decided to explain my theory on how guys get girls. "In guy world, it's whoever makes a move first gets the girl."

"Then Gakupo, technically, has made a move." Her expression was emotionless- just like she always was when it came to love.

"Did he legitimately ask you out? Kissed you? Confessed his feelings to you?"

"Only one out of three." She shrugged. "He's told me how much he liked me before."

Of course he did. I nodded.

"If he did all three, would you be his girlfriend?"

She made no change to her blank face. "I honestly do not know."

"Even if he does do all three," I swallowed. "Don't date him."

She blinked twice in confusion. "Why not?"

"I have a crush on you," I answered simply, "but I'm quite jealous."

She grinned. "It's only a small crush." A blush formed across her cheeks. "And I want to say that I'm very flattered about it."

Her blush quickly disappeared. She raised an eyebrow. "I have an idea," she said coolly.

"What?"

"Why don't we go out on a date?"

I momentarily sat there in shock. Never would I have thought that Megurine Luka would ask me out.

"We could go out on a date. Would you really, with me?" I asked for confirmation.

"We could and I would."

"Then we shall."

My head was spinning from these sudden new developments. I felt like I betrayed Gakupo but at the same time, I was happy.

I leaned closer to her. "We could go on one now." I completely forgot about how immune to love she was. But I was excited. Really excited.

She giggled. Wow, so cute! She giggled!

"Slow down, Kaito. Not now. The library is the least cool place."

I nodded in agreement. "So how about we grab ice cream after dinner? We can eat ice cream, then watch the stars or make out or something." I actually heard from Len that Rin liked to watch the stars. It sounded romantic so I figured that I might try it out too.

"Sure." I didn't think she heard the last part. Thank God.

She began to put her books and pencils away. She slung her tote bag over a shoulder while standing up.

"See you later." She bent down and lightly pecked my cheek.

I chuckled. "So she did hear that last part about making out," I said softly.

* * *

I ate dinner with Dell, Neru, Rin, and Luka. We had small talk but nothing significant went down. To my pleasure, Luka and I exchanged some quick glances throughout our meal.

When everyone was finished, we all went our separate ways. Dell went to (presumably) smoke, Rin and Neru to their dorms. No one suspected Luka and me walking closely together to the ice cream shop.

"They got new flavors!" I pointed at the glass excitedly. I admit, I lose my cool over ice cream. It's ironic, since ice cream is a cold food.

"I'll take a scoop of that new flavor, blueberry, and another scoop of raspberry in one of those chocolate waffle cones with coconut and chocolate shavings." I get a new ice cream and cone/cup and topping combination each time I come here. And I come here a lot.

Luka patiently smiled at me and picked out a single scoop coffee ice cream with no toppings in a cup. She fumbled for her wallet in her purse until I stopped her.

I looked into her eyes and smiled. "I'll pay."

"Oh, but-"

"It's a date." I smiled at that word. "I pay."

"Okay," she said with her gentle voice.

We paid for our ice cream and decided to take a stroll around campus. The school looks really nice- almost romantic- at night. It didn't even look like a school with the perfectly groomed bushes and trees and flowers or those classy lampposts and benches. We stopped at a trash can to throw away the napkins and cup from our ice creams. We took a seat on a bench not too far from it.

I casually rested my arm on the bench behind Luka's back. I looked at her. A light pink blush had stained her face this entire evening. I thought it was very cute.

"It's cloudy today." She began conversation while looking up at the sky. I looked up too.

"Yeah, why?" I subconsciously licked my lips.

"We can't see any stars since it's so cloudy."

"Guess we better move on with Plan B then."

She looked at me. "Huh?"

"Looking at the stars is Plan A. Time for Plan B." Her eyes flew wide when she recalled my date plan.

I slightly raised the arm on the bench to her shoulders and gently turned her towards me. Before she could do or say anything, I tilted her head back with my other hand and leaned down. I could practically taste the coffee-flavored ice cream on her breath. Then I kissed her very gently.

I almost smiled when I felt her kissing me back. Without breaking our kiss, she turned her body to face me. Her hands made their way to my shoulders and rested there.

After a while, I stopped kissing her to take in air. One of my arms were around her shoulders. The other was hugging her waist. Her hands were still at my shoulders. She was lightly biting her lower lip, a gesture I found endearing. She brought herself even closer to me when her arms snaked their way around my neck. I blinked once before she kissed me again.

Eventually, we stopped kissing and just stared at each other. Her face was flushed and her eyes were shining. She lowered her hands from behind my neck. She took my arm from her shoulders but held my hand. I laced my fingers between hers.

"Plan B wasn't a bad plan," she murmured, "neither was that blueberry ice cream of yours."

I chuckled. "Coffee's pretty good too. It's surprisingly sweet, like you."

She giggled. She squeezed my hand a little. She whispered, "I just kissed Shion Kaito."

I squeezed her hand back. "And I just kissed Megurine Luka."

"What will everyone think? What will our friends think?" She asked.

"We can just tell them that we're dating?" I asked. She pursed her lips tightly and made them look thin.

"Or we can keep us a secret?" I suggested. I kinda liked the sound of that. Us. Us sounded kinda nice.

"So we're dating? We're legitimately dating?" She sounded as if she wanted me to back out of our newly developed relationship. It was as if confirming our relationship was a test of some sort. I was a little hurt, but I ignored it.

"Do you not want to? We don't have to. We can just move on with our lives as if nothing happened."

She shook her head. "I want to give this relationship-thing, no, this whole love-thing a try. I'm okay with telling our friends of our relationship. Except Gakupo..." My heart skipped a beat at the word "relationship". I ignored it.

"I don't know about him either." I sighed. "Will Miku be alright with this?"

"Miku, no offense, has moved on. Or it seems like it." Luka looked down. "But what about Gakupo? I can't lie to him and let him hang around me."

"We can tell our friends. Gakupo will understand. He might resent me for a bit though."

"He might resent me too." She let out a sigh. "Us dating is kind of... Inconvenient."

"I agree." I raised our held hands. "But I don't mind."

"Me neither." She smiled sweetly.

I looked straight across from me, which was where a lamppost was. "I guess we're keeping it a secret?"

She looked straight across too. "I guess so."

"Hey." She looked up at me. "Kaito. Do you think I'm shallow for kissing you on the first date?"

I laughed. "Nah, I kissed you first, didn't I?" I grinned. "So you don't think I'm some sort of- what did you and Rin call me before? Manwhore. You don't think I'm some sort of manwhore for kissing you on the first date?"

She giggled. "I suppose. But you know, it was Plan B. We just had to follow through with schedule."

I looked at her shiny light blue-green eyes. Who would have thought that I would end up with Megurine Luka as my secret girlfriend? I smiled to myself and pecked her cheek. She turned to me and smiled. Her smile was so genuine; I thought it was ironic when compared to what she was really like.

Then I thought of all the negative parts to our relationship. Luka didn't like me in that way and never will. I didn't like her seriously; it just started off as a small crush. If I keep hanging around her, what if I start to like her more? I think I already like her a lot more than I did earlier in the library today. If I do end up liking her a lot, I'll only be heartbroken when she is unable to reciprocate the feelings I have toward her. She was merely using me as an experiment- she said so herself. She said she wanted to give the "love-thing" a try.

But her kisses seemed so real. She herself seemed so real. Maybe she had a small crush on me too. Maybe if we keep dating, she'll learn what love is. Then I'll be able to fix the girl who claims to be loveless. I just prayed that I won't end up liking her too much if she won't like me back.

* * *

**I like to write kissing scenes (I'm obviously a pervert), but noticed that I must do it all in one sitting. If not, things get very choppy and awkward.**

**School started yesterday. BOO.**

**Happy belated birthday, Kasane Teto!**

_This chapter was last altered on April 2, 2013._


	42. Chapter 42: Akita Neru 6

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: I WILL BE CHANGING MY USERNAME ON THIS SITE TO "the-apologetic-mushroom". "OwlsPanicAtTheCity" is no more.**

**I didn't intend for this chapter to be so long. I wrote one gigantic chapter all in Neru's POV and thought it was too much. I separated it and altered the second half to be in someone else's POV. Wanna guess who it is?**

* * *

Chapter 42: Akita Neru 6  
Saturday, May 13, 7:07 pm. Crypton's beach.

Someone came up with the idea that a very large group of people in our grade "bond" by, to put it bluntly, hooking up. I thought it was a pretty dumb idea but joined in anyway. Lily had invited my friends and me this morning.

"Neru-chan, my friends came up with great idea." I remembered her twirling a lock of her long blonde hair with her slender finger. "My friends and I thought that not everyone in our grade know each other very well. I figured that we should have some sort of bonding, especially for the people in different homerooms."

I thought it was a good idea up to this point. But believing Lily's idea was good was a very bad idea.

"What did you have in mind?"

Lily then smiled. Her teeth had looked especially white and perfect. "So a bunch of us go to the beach tonight and play a game or two."

I had nodded and was kind of amused. I'm sure the kind of game she was thinking of wasn't exactly something like Duck Duck Goose.

"But." Her eyes had shined impishly. "The game we're going to play is Spin the Bottle. We came up with some modifications of our own. But we need a lot more people to play with us!"

I had made sure not to display any major reaction and displayed calmness and coolness. "I'll ask my friends if they're down for it."

She then clapped her hands excitedly. "So you're coming, right? Meito-kun's gonna be there!" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm in." Not because Meito's there, but because it seemed interesting.

* * *

Thinking back, I should have said no. Due to my idiotic actions, I dragged my friends down with me. Who knows what horror lay in store for us? Few hours later, I confirmed our night of possible demise.

Neru:  
'Do you mind if Rin and Len, Miku, Luka, Dell, Gakupo, Kaito, and I join you guys for tonight? Rin and Len are a couple but they said they're cool with it as long as it's not that serious.'

I typed "Rin and Len" as if they were a unit, not individual people. I hope they don't mind.

Lily:  
'Perfect! So we have eight of you guys, Tei, Miki, Meito, Rei, Mikuo, and me.'

It actually seemed like she had a lot of people to play this already, but I bet she just wanted me to bring Dell along.

Neru:  
'What exactly are the rules and guidelines for the game?'

Lily:  
'I'll explain tonight. Meet us at the beach at 7!'

Neru:  
'Kay. See you then.'

With that last message, I sealed my date for potential doom.

* * *

Miku and I were the only ones in our dorm prior to the game so we walked to the beach together. We ended up meeting the large group last. Everyone else were already seated in a near perfect circle and there was enough room for just two more people.

"Hey guys!" Lily cheerfully greeted once she saw sight of us.

"Hi. This is a nice and fairly large gathering, isn't it?" I stirred up conversation as I sat down.

"Yup. The more the merrier!"

"So what are the rules for this game?" asked Len.

"I want to name a rule," Miku said. "Everyone turn your phones off- even you, Neru. There will be no photographic evidence of anything that goes on in this game. For your sakes and mine."

We all nodded in agreement and turned our phones off. I couldn't have agreed more with Miku's request. The last thing I wanted was a picture of Meito kissing me floating around cyberspace.

Lily grinned. "Kay, so you guys okay with Seven Minutes in Heaven as well?"

I practically heard the jaws dropping but casually answered, "Of course I am, Masuda-san. Let's vote on it though. Who wants Seven Minutes in Heaven in addition to Spin the Bottle?"

Miku, Kaito, Dell, Lily, Miki, Meito, Mikuo, and I raised our hands. "Majority says we're playing with it. Sorry guys."

Miki clapped her hands excitedly. It reminded me of how Lily clapped excitedly this morning. "So the official rules are, you spin the bottle and whoever the cap faces when it stops spinning is the person you kiss. If it's the same gender or yourself, you spin again."

"If you end up having to spin again more than twice, you'll have to play Seven Minutes with the third person of the opposite gender your spin lands on," Lily added. "The Seven Minutes will take place behind those bushes over there. There's a kitchen timer set for seven minutes. Press it once you get there." Lily pointed at said bushes about thirty feet away.

The blonde girl winked. "You can kiss during the seven minutes, or whatever else you can get done."

"To make the game more…appropriate, we added Rock-paper-scissors. So you play Rock-paper-scissors with the person you're supposed to kiss. If you win, you kiss them on the lips. If you lose, you kiss them on their cheek or nose or forehead or any other place that isn't their lips that's G-rated."

I saw Meito's shoulders drop disappointedly with the addition of the last rule. I wanted to kick him. Lily placed a flat wooden board in the center of the circle. Then she placed the weapon- I mean, empty glass coke bottle on it.

"We'll take turns by going clockwise around in the circle we're sitting in now."

I observed the seating order. Moving clockwise, it was Rin, Len, Tei, Rei, Mikuo, Miku, Miki, Kaito, Luka, Gakupo, Dell, Lily, Meito, and me. The seating arrangement seemed like it was predetermined by Lily.

I felt a tug on my sleeve. I looked to my right to see Meito looking down to me.

"We are so getting that seven minutes," he murmured into my ear.

He then attempted to place a hand on my right thigh but I brushed his hand off. I scooted a little closer to Rin without him noticing. I looked up and saw Dell smirking at me and I blushed. He probably saw the entire exchange between Meito and me.

"Dell-kun, want to go first?" Lily asked sweetly. She sounded extremely fake. Artificial sugar is bad for your health.

Dell spun and it landed on Len. The circle laughed. He spun it again. I secretly wished it landed on me, but that would be disastrous. At the same time, I wished it would land on a girl (not Lily) so he wouldn't have to play Seven Minutes. Thankfully, it landed on Rin. She squealed and the two played Rock-paper-scissors. The circle watched in amusement as the two kept drawing the same hand motion as the other. At last, Dell won and had to kiss Rin on the lips.

"Sorry bro," Dell said to Len as he walked outside of the circle to Rin. As he walked toward her, I turned around to look at him. We exchanged amused glances.

Rin's face was still red from being picked. I watched in amusement as he crouched down, lean forward, and peck Rin's lips. Miku giggled when Rin blush wildly and bury her face in her boyfriend's arm after their kiss. I thought it was extremely weird to see my two best friends kiss. Much to my amusement, Lily was practically seething in her seat when she saw Rin and Dell kiss.

Next was Lily's turn. If she kissed Dell, I'll never forgive her. She spun the bottle it landed on herself. She spun it again and it landed on Luka. Just my luck! She'll have to participate in Seven Minutes with the next guy she lands on. With a smug smile, she spun the bottle again. I looked down and closed my eyes.

"Dell gets to kiss two people already? It's been two turns!" I heard someone say. My chest suddenly felt painfully heavy. To my horror, when I looked up, Lily was pulling Dell's hand in the direction of the bushes. That skank!

"Neru-chan, are you jealous?" Rin waggled her eyebrows at me. I wanted to throw an orange at her face.

I calmly answered, "Nope."

"Why would she be?" asked Meito the moron.

Rin began her answer, "Well, aren't Neru and Dell-"

"Aren't you sooo happy we're dating? We're totally dating. Right, Meito-kun?" I interrupted loudly. I reached over and rested my hand on his thigh.

I looked at everyone's expressions. Len, Kaito, and Luka had their eyebrows raised. However, Rin, Miku, and Mikuo were stifling laughter.

Meito stupidly nodded and put his hand over the one on his thigh. I internally gagged.

I took the remainder of Dell and Lily's seven minutes to observe the circle. Starting from my left, I saw Rin leaning on Len's shoulder. Tei was glaring daggers at Rin and was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Len. Tei and Rei were talking politely. I never noticed what a cutie Rei was. He looked like Miku's type. Mikuo and Miku were whispering and giggling with each other. Their flirting made me nauseous by just looking at them. Miki kept trying to talk to Kaito, but he was busy speaking with Luka and Gakupo. I knew playing a game like this with near strangers was definitely something Luka and Gakupo protested against, but they didn't look uncomfortable. I was glad for that. I also noticed a strange new shine in Kaito's eyes, but didn't think much of it. I looked to my right at Meito, who still held my hand.

"I hope I get to kiss you," he said.

I smiled kindly. "Not in front of our friends! I'm too embarrassed for that!" I decided to feign cuteness and lack of experience.

He chuckled. "Stop being so cute."

I decided to continue stringing him along. "No, you stop."

Dell and Lily eventually returned. Good thing too, since I don't think I could have spent any longer pretending to be flirty.

As usual, my best friend looked bored. The blonde girl couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Her hair looked a bit messier, indicating the previous action that took place by the bushes. I wanted to smack her upside her head with one of Miku's leeks.

"My turn!" Meito spun the bottle. It landed on Miku on his first try. He frowned.

"Rock-paper-scissors." He held up a clenched hand. Meito lost and only ended up kissing her cheek.

"This is no fun," Meito grumbled when he got back next to me. I tried to hide my smile.

It was my turn. Whatever I do, I must not get stuck playing Seven Minutes.

Whatever I do, my partner cannot be Len because Tei looks like she'll rip my throat out.

Whatever I do, I don't want it to be Meito. He doesn't need his big head to inflate more.

Whatever I do, my partner cannot be Dell; I want to preserve our friendship.

I spun the bottle hard and watched it spun. I didn't notice that I held my breath. It landed on...me.

That's okay. All I have to do is get Rei, Mikuo, Kaito, or Gakupo on my next try! I spun it again. It landed on Miki. My heart fell. The next male the bottle lands on will be my partner for Seven Minutes. I spun it again to have it land on Tei. I spun it again and it landed on Rin.

I spun it for the fifth time and closed my eyes. I opened my eyes and looked at the end of the bottle. I looked up to see who it was facing. I felt the world crumble when my eyes fell on Dell's smirk.

"You're joking," I muttered. I froze in my seat. I almost felt Meito and Lily fuming next to me.

"Uhhh… Let's go, Neru." Dell stood up.

"You might as well make out with all the girls here!" Miku laughed.

"Yeah, I might as well." Dell laughed back. Since when was he so good-natured?

I slowly stood up and headed towards the bushes without even looking at him. I heard him follow behind me. I also heard Rin's "whoo-hoo"s.

Behind the bushes was a beach towel on the grass. I sat down.

"Classy, isn't it?" Despite the awkward situation, I still managed a sarcastic remark.

Dell sat down close next to me. "Very." He started the timer.

"So wanna kiss or talk or what?" he asked.

"We can talk," I squeaked.

"Good. I want to clear things up. First of all, why were you and Meito holding hands earlier?" Oh, he was talking about when he came back with Lily earlier.

"I... I told everyone that we're dating so they'd stop teasing me about you."

"You're dumb." He frowned. To my relief, he didn't linger on the topic. "Secondly, I didn't want to kiss Lily. She attacked me! She had me literally on the ground here. She was on top of me, and trying to suck my lips off."

I laughed. "Did you kiss her back?"

"Akita Neru, when a hot girl jumps at you and starts kissing you, the only thing you can do is kiss her back."

I smiled. "That's my boy." I checked how much time we had left. Five minutes.

"So…is Lily a good kisser?" I looked up at his red eyes.

"Yes." His eyes read the truth. He's so smug, I almost hated him. "I bet she has a lot of experience, the whore she is."

"Stop!" I swatted his arm. I lied, "She's not that bad!"

"Really?"

"Nope. That slut."

He laughed. "I thought so."

After a moment of silence, I leaned my body against him. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Wanna know something?" he asked.

I asked what.

"You're a better kisser." His answer made me very red. I squeaked a thank you before he quickly grabbed my face and kissed me.

I was so surprised that I still had my eyes open. But once I registered that he was kissing me, I closed my eyes and kissed him back. I rested one hand on his shoulder and grabbed the back of his head with my other hand. One of his hands dropped to my waist and pulled my body slightly closer to his.

I smirked while kissing. I licked his lips and poked my tongue into his mouth. He didn't resist. Our tongues fought against each other, but we knew the fight would have no winner. The hand that I had on his shoulder traveled to the back of his neck. His hand left my face and went to the back of my head. He pulled me closer to him. The taste of cigarettes was faint. His taste and scent drove me wild; I couldn't get enough.

Brrring!

The kitchen timer suddenly went off. Our eyes sprang open and we jumped away from each other, panting. I saw Dell lick his lips; I unconsciously followed suit. He quickly shut the timer off and silenced it. I was sure that the only thing that could be heard was my heartbeats. Unfortunately, our seven minutes together seemed like only a short moment.

He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair. I quietly retied my side ponytail. He stood up and dusted the grass off his clothes. He held out a hand to help me up. I took it and straightened my clothes with one hand. We began to make our way back to the circle.

I cleared my throat. "Honne Dell, when a hot guy jumps at you and starts kissing you, the only thing you can do is kiss him back."

He laughed. "I didn't jump at you."

I smirked. I don't think he noticed that we held hands on our entire way back to the circle. I sat back down. My heart rate seemed to have calmed down and so did my blush.

It was Rin's turn after mine. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who noticed Tei glaring at Rin. I had a very bad feeling about their interaction so I observed my cousin's turn closely.

To Tei's joy, Rin's spin landed on Rei. The silvery-haired girl stopped glaring at her instantly and her face snapped to a normal expression. I let out a soft sigh of relief. I wouldn't have known what to do if Rin's spin landed on Len.

Rin and Rei played Rock-paper-scissors without either of them leaving their seats. When Rei won, the blonde got up to kiss him on the cheek.

As we watched Rin stand up, Meito asked in a low, husky voice. "Why were you holding hands with Dell earlier?"

"Oh. Baby, I don't even know..." I quietly murmured. I happily noticed that I was sitting as far as I could from Meito.

After Rin was Len's turn. I had a feeling that Tei hated every female present at the game. Her eyes were glued to the bottle when Len spun it. It landed on Kaito.

"Come here, Len-kyun!" Kaito jokingly made kissy noises and held his hands out to the blond.

The circle roared with laughter and Len snorted with disgust.

"We're friends, but not those kind friends."

"Rin-chan, he won't let me kissy kissy him!" The blue-haired boy pouted.

The girl to my left cracked up. The large bow on her head was bouncing.

"Can we get back to the game please?" Tei quietly said.

Len cleared his throat. "Of course. Thank you."

The red-eyed girl smiled brightly. Her facial expression had changed instantaneously when Len answered her. It was beyond creepy.

Len spun the bottle and Tei stared at it once more. A high-pitched squeal was heard from the silver-haired girl when it stopped spinning. At the same time, Rin buried her face in my shoulder. I awkwardly patted her back to comfort her. The bottle had landed on none other than Sukone Tei. Len was still staring at the bottle, and looked completely shocked.

Tei hugged Len's neck and tried to kiss his lips. She looked as if she wanted to squeeze the life out of the poor boy.

"This can't be happening." I heard Rin whisper. Her face was still hidden from view.

He dodged the kiss attempt. "Rock-paper-scissors, remember?"

Tei pouted. She pouted harder when he lost. He begrudgingly grabbed her hand and gave it a quick peck. She let out a rude "hmmmph!" but it seemed to have gone unnoticed by Len.

It was somewhat disturbing to see Len kiss anyone other than Rin, even if it was just Tei's hand. It was even more disturbing because she was that fiend Tei. I hoped no one else's spins would land on Len, especially Tei. Even if the next girl whose spin landed on him was Luka, I would find it unacceptable for Len to be kissed by anyone other than his girlfriend. It just didn't look right. Not to mention that I cared for the safety of the females in this circle. Death by Sukone Tei did not sound like valid reason for death. To my sadness, Rin seemed like she was on the verge of tears when the bottle landed on Tei. Tei looked like she was ready to murder each girl that spun, ready to strike if her beloved Len was chosen.

"Rin, it's over," I whispered. She sat up and stared at the bottle. Her eyes were blank and emotionless, like her facial expression.

When Len's turn was over, Tei clung on to his arm. He looked extremely annoyed and tried to shake her off. She didn't budge. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder. I wanted to slap her face.

I wanted to comfort my cousin. We may be grown up, but she was still so young at heart. She acted tough, but her feelings were fragile.

I'm so done with this game. I've had my fun, and now my best friend looked like she wanted to cry. Damn that Lily for making us play this game! Not only did she force herself at Dell, she indirectly made Rin suffer. That itself was an inexcusable offense.

* * *

**I have a blog on Tumblr! Follow me at "the-apologetic-mushroom DOT tumblr DOT com"!  
****Please support my subbed Vocaloid PVs on YouTube. I subbed a Hatsune Miku reply song to "I Don't Care Who, Somebody Go Out With Me" and GigaP and OrebananaP's cover of wowaka's "Unhappy Refrain" sung by Kagamine Rin and Len.  
****The link to my Tumblr and videos can be found on my profile.****  
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_This chapter was last altered on April 16, 2013._


	43. Chapter 43: Kamui Gakupo 6

**I woke up first thing in the morning, reached for my phone, and began typing this chapter out immediately. I didn't have time to edit it, so there may be some errors.**

* * *

Chapter 43: Kamui Gakupo 6  
Saturday, May 13, 7:50 pm. Crypton's beach.

Neru had invited our group of friends to this game of Spin the Bottle hosted by her friend Lily. So far, Mikuo, Miki, Kaito and I have not been kissed yet. I secretly hoped I got to kiss Luka, but seeing how much she opposed joining this game in the first place made me not want to force her to do anything she did not want to.

* * *

By coincidence, all eight of us ate lunch together today. Usually, we would separate into smaller groups, eat with other people, or skip lunches completely. It was uncommon for all of us to eat together, and it was nice to see everyone at the same time.

However, Neru decided to bring up a rather disturbing proposition.

"Masuda-san invited me to this event later tonight with some of her friends and wanted me to bring my friends." She casually took a sip of her iced coffee.

"What kind of event?" Dell asked.

Miku wrinkled her nose. "Masuda Lily? I barely even know her. Who here is actually friends with her?"

"Dell is," Kaito answered for the red-eyed teen. Dell nodded in response.

"I like to think of her as my classmate and acquaintance." Neru shook around her iced coffee. "But that's not important. She wants us to bond as classmates and what not."

"How are we supposed to bond?" Miku asked.

"She proposed a game." Neru opened her phone. "A game of Spin the Bottle."

Our table erupted with noise as soon as Neru gave her answer.

Dell nearly snorted out his drink and began laughing uncontrollably.

"Absolutely not!" Luka slammed her hand on the table loudly. Her face was red.

Rin folded her arms across her chest. "How are we supposed to, anyway?" Len nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Megurine-san," I said. "This game is not exactly the most appropriate given our age and social backgrounds with each other."

"It can't be that bad..." The blue-haired boy was given a punch on his head for his comment from a smaller blond boy.

Miku remained quiet and looked shocked.

Neru shut off her phone and looked into all of our eyes. "Please?"

Luka crossed her arms. "No."

"Are you going to make me beg in front of everyone?" pleaded Neru.

"I'd like to see that!" Dell smirked. She ignored him.

"How about everyone here that says yes to playing tonight raise your hands?" Neru raised her hand.

Kaito, Dell, and Miku raised their hands.

"Even if you're dating, it's okay to have some healthy jealousy in your relationship" Kaito chipped in some rather questionable advice.

"What the hell?" Len's eyebrows rose up. "No."

"Fine then. Forget about you two." Neru turned to me. "Gakupo, will you play with us?"

I swallowed a nervous gulp. Neru's piercing golden eyes could be quite intimidating when she looked directly at you.

"If Luka here played, will you play?" she inquired.

Luka let out an exasperated "what?"

If Luka played and I did not, she was bound to kiss someone other than myself. If I played, I have the chance of kissing her but it is not guaranteed. Do I really want to kiss Luka? She will definitely not appreciate it if she was forced into it.

"That changes the circumstance," I answered calmly.

Our table began to chatter excitedly. Rin and Miku exchanged a high-five and giggles. Dell let out a snort and hid his mouth behind his coffee. Len let out "whoo"s. Kaito and Neru burst out in good-natured laughter. I kept a small smile on my face. Luka however, maintained an indifferent expression that was ruined by a deep blush.

"Luka-chaaaan, please?" Neru widened her eyes at her pink-haired friend.

"Of course not!" Looks like I will not be playing with them.

"Why not?"

"It is a game of Spin the Bottle! That's why!" Valid-enough reason.

However, Neru managed to successfully persuade Luka shortly after lunch. So the six of us were to play a rather intimidating game tonight. Rin and Len were not going to participate with good reason.

After some debate, Rin felt excluded and decided to bring Len along with her to this game. I thought little of it. She truly hated not feeling included in events. We all opposed her and Len joining us, but she was stubborn. So if that was what she wanted, that was what she would get.

* * *

Tei was a particularly unusual girl. She was very disappointed she was forced to play Seven Minutes in Heaven with Mikuo. I felt bad for the poor teal-haired teen.

After Tei was the quiet Kagene Rei's turn. Quiet and reserved Rei had to participate in Seven Minutes with the rather loud and outgoing Lily. The two were complete polar opposites of each other.

Following Rei was Mikuo. Mikuo spun the glass bottle and I watched. I frowned when it landed on the person to my right. It landed on Luka.

"Oh!" she cried out of surprise. She blushed and brought a delicate hand to her mouth. She met Mikuo's eyes and blushed harder. He held out his fist and made the motion for Rock-paper-scissors. I do not remember envying a person as much as I envied Mikuo.

Mikuo ended up brining out paper and beat Luka's rock. This meant that he had to kiss Luka's lips. I felt a pang of envy flush through my entire body. My face felt hot and I had a feeling that it was red. I looked down and hoped that the others did not notice me.

I looked up to see Luka getting kissed by Mikuo. Her cheeks looked pinker than her hair. Their eyes were closed during their kiss. It was as if time froze during their kiss and I could not tear my eyes from them. It was almost as if it was a scene from a horror movie- you want to look away but at the same time keep watching.

After what seemed like a millennium, they broke apart. Mikuo went back to his seat. I felt my flushed face calm down. Luka sat with her knees to her chest and hugged them. She buried her face in her arms and missed watching the next person's turn.

After Mikuo was Miku's turn. She and Rei went off to the bushes for Seven Minutes in Heaven.

After Miku was Miki. She looked as if she wanted to kiss Kaito, but she ended up kissing Meito's cheek.

To our amusement, for Kaito's turn, his spins landed on every single boy including himself at least once.

After what seemed like the tenth spin, Len commented, "Maybe it's a sign. You really are gay."

"Only gay for you, Len-kyun!" Kaito teasingly blew a kiss at him. We all laughed. Kaito spun again. "But seriously. What's up with this bottle?"

His next spin landed on Luka. If we thought she was embarrassed during Mikuo's turn, we were wrong. Her poor face was very red and I do not think I have ever seen her blush so hard. And she gets red very easily.

I realized something terrible; Kaito spun the bottle more than twice before it landed on Luka. This means they had to... I hung my head down. They had to kiss for seven minutes!

"We don't have to really kiss," Luka squeaked, "right?"

Dell laughed. "That's what's supposed to happen, but no one will actually know if you did or not."

"C'mon." Kaito stood up and held his hand out for Luka. She did not take it. We saw them walk towards the bushes slowly.

I looked up and stared at the bottle dumbly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Neru look across the circle towards Miku. I followed the blonde's eyes. The pig-tailed girl looked like she was stifling laughter. She looked at Rin. The three of girls burst into laughter.

"Luka-chan..." Miku started but could not complete her sentence due to laughter.

"Is so fucking awkward!" Rin completed.

The other people started to laugh too. I forced myself to laugh too. My false laughter seemed very believable.

"Did you see how red she was?" Miku wiped a tear.

"Redder than when I kissed her!" Mikuo answered. "Oh my God, I bet they can hear us from there!"

My stomach churned. They probably can hear us from the bushes. Everyone was laughing very hard.

"Are we not behaving too horribly?" I asked once the laughter died down. People began to chuckle again, but agreed.

When Kaito and Luka pair came back, they were greeted with another ripple of laughter. They looked confused. Luka was still blushing and Kaito had a small, goofy smile on his face. His smile was so small; I doubt anyone else caught it.

"Your turn, Luka-chan!" Rin giggled.

Luka hid her face in her hands. "Can't the ground open up an swallow me already?"

"No way you're getting out of this one," Neru teased.

She groaned and spun it hard. I stared at the bottle and hoped it was me. She hid her face again. Everyone was silent when it stopped spinning. She peeked through her fingers at the bottle. She followed the direction it was pointing at.

To my luck, the bottle landed on me! I was so surprised that I neither blinked nor moved. I looked at Luka.

She held up a fist and gestured that they will play Rock-paper-scissors. She won. Our friends began to clap and holler excitedly.

I was excited too, but a little disappointed in myself. I first opposed playing this game. To be honest, I have never kissed anyone prior to this game. The only reason I wanted to play was to be able to kiss Luka. But there was a chance of giving up my first kiss to someone else, which I was fortunate that that did not happen. But having my first kiss, even with Luka, through a game was extremely unromantic. All of our peers could see us, and it was not a kiss initiated by Luka's will. I deeply wanted to be able to kiss someone only if the situation was appropriate. A game of Spin the Bottle was hardly appropriate.

Luka and I turned towards each other. Conveniently, we were sitting right beside each other and neither of us had to get up and walk to kiss each other.

Time seemed to have been moving extremely slowly when we leaned in towards each other. Our eyes slowly began to close before our lips made contact. When we kissed, I felt a victorious set of fireworks go off in my stomach. Her lips were soft and fit perfectly over mine.

The kiss felt like it lasted for a decade before we pulled apart from each other. I opened my eyes when we stopped kissing to see her slowly opening hers. She looked like an angel with her eyes slowly opening like that. Her eyelashes were long enough to cast small shadows on the tops of her cheekbones. Her lips looked soft and dewy. Her blush had a light pink glow, but otherwise her madly flushed appearance was gone. She quickly turned to sit straight across from the bottle with her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms again.

I tried hard to maintain my composure. My first kiss was gentle and sweet, but I felt like something was missing. But I was still excited.

My hand was shaking slightly as I spun the bottle. It landed on Mikuo. I spun it again to have it land on Dell. It appeared that I had to partake in Seven Minutes in Heaven with the next girl my spin landed on. I spun it hard on my third try. When it landed, the circle burst into laughter. I was silent but I looked to my right with wide eyes.

Luka looked up and saw that the bottle had landed on her. Her blush came back.

"This game is rigged!" Luka cried out. With a small groan, she stood up quickly and held her hand out to help me up. I took it and got up. Unfortunately, she let go of my hand when I stood up. We made our way toward the bushes.

There was a neat towel for us to sit on behind the bushes. A kitchen timer was placed on it. Luka bent down and picked up the timer before sitting on one side of the towel. She patted the area next to her in a gesture for me to sit too. I sat down and looked up at the sky.

"I made the towel neat for the next person's turn. I didn't think it'd be me again," Luka said.

The situation was extremely awkward. "We can just talk for now instead of kissing if you would like, Megurine-san."

"Thank you." She nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Hmmm?"

"Was our kiss earlier your first kiss?"

I answered honestly that it was.

She blushed lightly and softly let out an "Oh!"

"Have you kissed anyone prior to this game?"

She blushed deeper. "Yes. Why did you join this game if it was your first time?"

"Well, Akita-san begged us to join her. And...I had a small chance of being able to kiss you."

She looked into my eyes. "Gakupo..." she whispered.

For some unknown reason, she let out a tear. She quickly wiped it away.

"You just had your first kiss with me in front of everyone, for a game!" she whispered, but it sounded as if she was shouting. When she said it like that, I became embarrassed.

"Please... Don't do this to yourself," she said.

Another tear fell down to her cheek. I held her face with one hand and wiped it away with my thumb. Seeing her tears made me want to cry too. One of her hands rested over mine. The other lightly gripped my wrist.

"Please...please don't... Please don't like me anymore. I know you like me and it's a bad thing for you to like me." I lowered my hand. Her hands were still holding mine.

"Why not?" I asked innocently.

"I... I just..." She cleared her throat. "How can you like someone so much if she doesn't reciprocate the same feelings towards you? Isn't it a terrible one-sided love? Don't do this to yourself. I'm not good enough for you."

I shook my head. "Even if you did not like me back this way, I still feel happy just to see you and be near you."

She shook her head and looked down. "I can't do this," she muttered, "I have to tell the truth."

"What truth?"

She looked into my eyes. Her eyes were serious. "Gakupo, I have a boyfriend."

I blinked a few times. "Excuse me?"

"I have a boyfriend. We haven't told anyone about our relationship yet." Something told me that she was telling the truth.

I ignored the painful feeling in my chest. "May I ask who it is?"

She looked away. "Uhhh... Oh! We forgot to turn the timer on!" She set the timer quickly.

"Who is your boyfriend?" I asked again.

She looked down and mumbled something I couldn't understand.

"Who?"

She cleared her throat and looked up at me. "My boyfriend is Kaito."

I felt as if the sky fell on top of me. My body felt numb. My chest felt tight and my throat felt dry. I felt my eyes grow wide.

"I would have never known." I softly said, "I did not even think you two were even good friends. Since when did you two start dating?"

"Just yesterday. Please don't hate me or Kaito."

I shook my head. "How can I hate you or Shion-san? I am happy for you. If you are happy, I am happy."

She looked confused. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Will you still like me?"

"I still like you, but it is not in my place to make any advances anymore. You have moved on and are now in a relationship with someone, who I hope you sincerely like."

"Thank you. Thank you for understanding, Gakupo." She leaned over to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back.

"Thank you for your blessing. Thank you for not hating me," she said while hugging me. I wished we were hugging for a different reason.

She pulled away from me. I realized that she had not blushed for a long time. Her face gets red easily, but it had not been for a long time.

"Do you really like Shion-san? Does he like you back? Are you in love?"

"I...I don't know. I like him. And I think he likes me back. How can you be sure with him, anyway? I don't know." She spoke very quickly.

My honest prediction for Luka and Kaito was that they will break up. I did not think their relationship will last for a long time.

I looked at the timer in front of us and remembered our reason for being here. "Did you two kiss for seven minutes earlier?"

A familiar pink blush formed on her cheeks. She smiled a little. "I don't kiss and tell."

She looked at the timer. We had two minutes left.

"Because this is what we're supposed to do, and because I want to make up for your first kiss earlier, here." She rose from her seat a little and kissed my cheek. My cheek was hot where her lips touched it.

She quickly stood up and walked in front of me. She went on her knees and put her hands on my shoulders. She leaned forward and kissed my lips.

At first, I was shocked and did not know how to respond. But I quickly kissed her back. Her lips were just as smooth and soft as before. This kiss did not feel as empty as the last one.

I did not realize that my arms had snaked around her delicate waist. We eventually broke apart for air. I withdrew my hands from her. Her hands were still gripping my shoulders. I noticed that my heart was beating extremely fast and I wished for it to calm down.

Luka was blushing when she smiled kindly and kissed my cheek again. She turned and reached behind her for the timer. She reset it and stood up.

"We spent a long time here anyway." She held out her hand again. "Let's go." I took her hand and stood up. This time, I let go of her hand.

"Thank you for my real first kiss. And I wish you and Shion-san the best." I smiled at her. She smiled back.

We made our way back to the circle. The members of the circle looked excited when we came back.

"Did you guys kiss?" Miku asked.

Luka and I exchanged a glance. I smiled. "I am sorry Hatsune-san, but we do not kiss and tell." Our friends hollered and laughed. Luka and I joined in the laughter.

"That's perfect!" cried out Lily. "Love it!"

When the laughter stopped, Dell spoke. "Wanna play another round? Or are we done? We went around the circle and it's actually pretty late."

"Yeah, it's almost 8:40 now," Len said while trying to free his arm from Tei. "Let's head back."

"Kay!" Lily grabbed the board and bottle from the center of the circle. "Thanks for joining us, guys!"

"Thanks for inviting us," said Neru blandly.

We got up and started to head back to our dorm building. I stayed at the back of everyone, and walked with Kaito. I wanted to confront him about what Luka told me, but decided not to.

I looked at front of us, at Luka walking with Rin, Miku, and Neru. The four of them looked extremely happy as they laughed and teased each other.

"Do you think Megurine-san is a good kisser?" I uttered to Kaito.

He looked surprised that I asked him that. I smiled knowingly at him.

His face broke into a grin. "She's the best."

* * *

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_This chapter was last altered on April 27, 2013._


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